AYSO Concussion Policy Announced The AYSO Safe Haven and Safety Director programs have been promoting
since 2009 the recommendations provided by the U.S. Center for Disease
Control’s (CDC) Heads Up program for concussion awareness and
safety. Since then, 35 states plus the District of Columbia have passed
concussion legislation, most of which came onto the books within the
last year. Other states have similar laws pending.
In response to increasing concerns about the potential risks associated
with concussions and to these new state laws, the AYSO National Board of
Directors launched a Concussion Task Force to develop recommendations
for AYSO Regions and families. The NBOD has approved its
recommendations:
- Use of the AYSO/CDC Concussion Information Sheet to inform all
parents and players about the signs and symptoms of concussion and the
associated risks. Find the Information Sheet at: http://www.ayso.org/resources/safety.aspx
- Encourage
ALL coaches, referees, and Section, Area and Region Board Members to
take the CDC’s free online Concussion Awareness Training at: http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/online_training.html or soon to be available at www.aysotraining.org.
Volunteers who take the course on the CDC website should print a copy
of the Certificate of Completion and forward it to the Safe Haven
Department at the National Office where training records will be
updated.
- Any player suspected by the coach, referee or parent
to have a concussion must be removed from further participation for at
least the remainder of the day, and
- Parents
should be encouraged to seek professional medical treatment at the time
of injury and secure medical clearance before being allowed to return to
play. In all cases, AYSO will require the parent to sign a new
Participation Release Form which includes a concussion waiver confirming
that the player has been given the appropriate clearance to return to
play.
In the states with concussion legislation that impacts AYSO’s programs, Regions must comply
with the state law requirements. Those requirements typically include
obtaining and saving signed AYSO/CDC Information Sheets, requiring the
CDC Concussion Awareness training for coaches and other “officials”
specified in the law, and obtaining a participation release form signed
by a medical professional. These concussion laws impacting AYSO programs
are in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia,
Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Utah
and Washington. State legislation varies slightly from state to state
and additional information is being provided for those with AYSO
programs impacted by concussion laws. In the meantime don’t hesitate to
contact the Safe Haven office at 800-872-2976 for further
clarification.
Here are a few of the helpful Steps/Measures to remember relating to concussion awareness and safety issues:
- In Regions impacted by the concussion laws, signed copies of
the AYSO/CDC Concussion Information Sheets must be collected and stored
by the Region. (Regions may want to consider distributing the
Information Sheets and collecting them with the registration forms.)
- Coaches
are required to complete an AYSO Incident Report whenever a concussion
has been suspected and turn it into the Safety Director.
- The Safety Director must forward a copy of the AYSO Incident Report to insurance@ayso.org and make sure the injured player’s parents are informed about AYSO’s Soccer Accident Insurance.
- Coaches
must require a signed Participation Release Form from the
parent/guardian before a player having a concussion or suspected of
having a concussion is allowed to return to play. Parents should always
be encouraged to seek appropriate medical care and medical clearance. In
designated states, the signed Medical Release is also mandatory before
return to play.
- The signed Participation Release and any Medical Release must be given to the Safety Director and forwarded to insurance@ayso.org.
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