Concussion management is taken very seriously by Force North. In accordance with guidelines from US soccer, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and supplemented by the most current evidence based medicine, we have established baseline protocols for the education of our club members/staff/players.
A) Education:
1) Coaches are required to complete an online training program on concussion awareness and management as set forth by guidelines from the CDC Heads up program. https://www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/index.html
2) Coach training program – annual training session by a certified healthcare professional – where coaches will have a chance to ask questions and confirm/enhance their knowledge base on traumatic brain injury.
3) Educational materials – fact sheets on concussion are available on our website:
a) Coaches
b) Parents
c) Athletes
B) Onsite management:
1) Coaches will be provided with a “clipboard factsheet” on signs and symptoms of concussion and management to refer to - on the field if needed.
2) Any player that sustains a concussion will be immediately removed from play.
3) If a healthcare provider is onsite – they will be notified immediately for evaluation and management.
4) In the event of a concussion - parents will be notified of the concussion, referred to a fact sheet on concussions, and told that the athlete needs to be evaluated by a certified healthcare professional. They will also be advised that:
The Athlete will NOT be allowed to play in practice or games until medically cleared for activity by a certified healthcare professional.
5) Coaches are responsible for notifying the Director of Coaching/Board of
Directors within 24 hours of the end of the game via email at:
6) In the event that the athlete is taken to the hospital for emergent/urgent care, or 911 is called, the coaches will immediately notify the Director of Coaching via phone.
C) Off field management:
1) Clinical evaluation and subsequent management will be coordinated through the physicians offices at the direction of the athlete’s family.
D) Return to Play –
1) Once athletes are cleared to play from a certified health care professional, we follow established guidelines for return to play:
a)Athletes must be asymptomatic at each level to progress to the next level – one step per day – (steps do not need to coincide with organized practice). Athletes may reinsert at different stages of play.
| Step | Functional Exercise | Objective |
| 1 | No Activity | Recovery |
| 2 | Light Aerobic Exercise | Increase heart rate |
| 3 | Sport-specific Exercise | Add movement |
| 4 | Noncontact training drills | Exercise, coordination, cognitive load |
| 5 | Full contact practice | Restore confidence and assess functional skills |
| 6 | Game play |
E) Long Term Management:
A dedicated email: concussions@forcenorth.com has been set up. This will provide a single point of contact for all things related to concussion. This will allow us to track the incidence, severity, and time back to play, in an effort to improve our protocols over time.