Parent/Athlete Concussion Information Sheet

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that changes the way the brain normally works. A concussion is caused by bump, blow, or jolt to the
head or body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Even a “ding,”“getting your bell rung,” or what seems to be a mild bump or blow

to the head can be serious.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION?

Signs and symptoms of concussion can show up right after the injury or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury.

If an athlete reports one or more symptoms of

concussion listed below after a bump, blow, or jolt to

Did You Know?

• Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness.

• Athletes who have, at any point in their lives, had a concussion have an increased risk for another concussion.

• Young children and teens are more likely to get a concussion and take longer to recover than adults.

the head or body, s/he should be kept out of play the day of the injury and until a health care professional, experienced in evaluating for concussion, says s/he is
symptom-free and it’s OK to return to play.

SIGNS OBSERVED BY COACHING STAFF
	
SYMPTOMS REPORTED BY ATHLETES
	
Appears dazed or stunned
	Headache or “pressure” in head
	
Is confused about assignment or position
	Nausea or vomiting
	
Forgets an instruction
	Balance problems or dizziness
	
Is unsure of game, score, or opponent
	Double or blurry vision
	
Moves clumsily
	Sensitivity to light
	
Answers questions slowly
	Sensitivity to noise
	
Loses consciousness (even briefly)
	Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy
	
Shows mood, behavior, or personality changes
	Concentration or memory problems
	
Can’t recall events prior to hit or fall
	Confusion
	
Can’t recall events after hit or fall
	Just not “feeling right” or “feeling down”

CONCUSSION DANGER SIGNS

In rare cases, a dangerous blood clot may form on the brain in a person with a concussion and crowd the brain against the skull. An athlete should receive immediate medical attention if after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body s/he exhibits any of the following danger signs:

• One pupil larger than the other

• Is drowsy or cannot be awakened

• A headache that not only does not diminish, but gets worse

• Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination • Repeated vomiting or nausea
• Slurred speech

• Convulsions or seizures

• Cannot recognize people or places

• Becomes increasingly confused, restless, or agitated • Has unusual behavior
• Loses consciousness (even a brief loss of consciousness should be taken seriously)

WHY SHOULD AN ATHLETE REPORT THEIR SYMPTOMS?

If an athlete has a concussion, his/her brain needs time to heal.While an athlete’s brain is still healing, s/he is much more likely to have another concussion. Repeat concussions can increase the time it takes to recover. In rare cases, repeat concussions in young athletes can result in brain swelling or permanent damage to their
brain.They can even be fatal.

Remember

Concussions affect people differently.While most athletes with a concussion recover quickly and fully, some will have symptoms that last for days, or even weeks. A more seri-ous concussion can last for months or longer.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU THINK YOUR ATHLETE HAS A CONCUSSION?

If you suspect that an athlete has a concussion, remove the athlete from play and seek medical attention. Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself. Keep the athlete out of play the day of the injury and until a health care professional, experienced in evaluating for concussion, says s/he is symptom-free and it’s OK to return to play.

Rest is key to helping an athlete recover from a concussion. Exercising or activities that involve a lot of concentration, such as studying, working on the computer, or playing video games, may cause concussion symptoms to reappear or get worse. After a concussion, returning to sports and school is a gradual process that should be carefully managed
and monitored by a health care professional.

It’s better to miss one game than the whole season. For more information on concussions, visit:www.cdc.gov/Concussion.

Student-Athlete Name Printed

Parent or Legal Guardian Printed

Student-Athlete Signature	Date

Parent or Legal Guardian Signature	Date

KeepTheirHeartintheGame ASuddenCardiacArrestInformationSheetforAthletesandParents/Guardians

What is sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is when the heart stops beating, suddenly and unexpectedly. When this happens blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. SCA is NOT a heart attack. A heart attack is caused by a blockage that stops the flow of blood to the heart.SCAisamalfunctionintheheart’selectricalsystem,causingthevictimtocollapse. Themalfunctioniscausedbyacongenitalorgeneticdefectintheheart’sstructure.

How common is sudden cardiac arrest in the United States? AstheleadingcauseofdeathintheU.S.,therearemorethan300,000cardiacarrests outsidehospitalseachyear,withnineoutof10resultingindeath.Thousandsof suddencardiacarrestsoccuramongyouth,asitisthe#2causeofdeathunder25 andthe#1killerofstudentathletesduringexercise.

FAINTING
is the
#
1SYMPTOM
OFAHEARTCONDITION
Who is at risk for sudden cardiac arrest? SCAismorelikelytooccurduringexerciseorphysical activity,sostudent-athletesareatgreaterrisk. While aheartconditionmayhavenowarningsigns,studies showthatmanyyoungpeopledohavesymptomsbut neglecttotellanadult.Thismaybebecausetheyare embarrassed,theydonotwanttojeopardizetheirplay-
ingtime,theymistakenlythinkthey’reoutofshapeandneedtotrainharder,or theysimplyignorethesymptoms,assumingtheywill“justgoaway.”Additionally, somehealthhistoryfactorsincreasetheriskofSCA.

What should you do if your student-athlete is experiencing any of these

TheCardiacChainofSurvival On average it takes EMS teams up to 12 minutes to arrive

to a cardiac emergency. Every minute delay in attending to a sudden cardiac arrest victim decreases the chance of survival by 10%. Everyone should be prepared to take action in the first minutes of collapse.

Early Recognition of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Collapsedandunresponsive. Gasping,gurgling,snorting,moaning orlaboredbreathingnoises.
Seizure-likeactivity.

Early Access to 9-1-1

symptoms?
Weneedtoletstudent-athletesknowthatiftheyexperienceanySCA-related symptomsitiscrucialtoalertanadultandgetfollow-upcareassoonaspossible withaprimarycarephysician.IftheathletehasanyoftheSCAriskfactors,these shouldalsobediscussedwithadoctortodetermineiffurthertestingisneeded. Waitforyourdoctor’sfeedbackbeforereturningtoplay,andalertyourcoach, trainerandschoolnurseaboutanydiagnosedconditions.

Confirmunresponsiveness. Call9-1-1andfollowemergency dispatcher'sinstructions.
Callanyon-siteEmergencyResponders.

Early CPR
Begincardiopulmonaryresuscitation (CPR)immediately.Hands-onlyCPRinvolvesfast
andcontinualtwo-inchchestcompressions—

What is an AED? Anautomatedexternaldefibrillator(AED)istheonlywaytosaveasudden cardiacarrestvictim.AnAEDisaportable,user-friendlydevicethatautomat-
AED
icallydiagnosespotentiallylife-threateningheart rhythmsanddeliversanelectricshocktorestorenor-malrhythm.AnyonecanoperateanAED,regardlessof training.Simpleaudiodirectioninstructstherescuer whentopressabuttontodelivertheshock,while otherAEDsprovideanautomaticshockifafatalheart rhythmisdetected.Arescuercannotaccidentlyhurta
victimwithanAED—quickactioncanonlyhelp.AEDsaredesignedtoonly shockvictimswhoseheartsneedtoberestoredtoahealthyrhythm.Check withyourschoolforlocationsofon-campusAEDs.

about100perminute.

Early Defibrillation Immediatelyretrieveanduseanautomated externaldefibrillator(AED)assoonaspossible torestorethehearttoitsnormalrhythm.Mobile AEDunitshavestep-by-stepinstructionsforaby-
standertouseinanemergencysituation.

Early Advanced Care EmergencyMedicalServices(EMS) Respondersbeginadvancedlifesupport
includingadditionalresuscitativemeasuresand transfertoahospital.

Cardiac Chain of Survival Courtesy of Parent Heart Watch

KeepTheirHeartintheGame

RecognizetheWarningSigns&RiskFactors ofSuddenCardiacArrest(SCA)
Tell Your Coach and Consult Your Doctor if These Conditions are Present in Your Student-Athlete

PotentialIndicatorsThatSCAMayOccur

 Faintingorseizure,especiallyduringor rightafterexercise

 Faintingrepeatedlyorwithexcitementor startle

 Excessiveshortnessofbreathduringexercise

 Racingorflutteringheartpalpitationsor irregularheartbeat

 Repeateddizzinessorlightheadedness

 Chestpainordiscomfortwithexercise

 Excessive,unexpectedfatigueduringor afterexercise

FactorsThatIncreasetheRiskofSCA

 Familyhistoryofknownheartabnormalitiesor suddendeathbeforeage50

 SpecificfamilyhistoryofLongQTSyndrome, BrugadaSyndrome,HypertrophicCardiomyopathy,or ArrhythmogenicRightVentricularDysplasia(ARVD)

 Familymemberswithunexplainedfainting,seizures, drowningorneardrowningorcaraccidents

 Knownstructuralheartabnormality,repairedor unrepaired

 Useofdrugs,suchascocaine,inhalants, “recreational”drugs,excessiveenergydrinksor performance-enhancingsupplements

What is CIF doing to help protect student-athletes?

CIF amended its bylaws to include language that adds SCA training to coach certification and practice and game protocol that empowers coaches to removefromplayastudent-athletewhoexhibitsfainting—thenumberonewarningsignofapotentialheartcondition.Astudent-athletewhohasbeen removedfromplayafterdisplayingsignsorsymptomsassociatedwithSCAmaynotreturntoplayuntilheorsheisevaluatedandclearedbyalicensed healthcareprovider.Parents,guardiansandcaregiversareurgedtodialoguewithstudent-athletesabouttheirhearthealthandeveryoneassociated withhighschoolsportsshouldbefamiliarwiththecardiacchainofsurvivalsotheyarepreparedintheeventofacardiacemergency.

IhavereviewedandunderstandthesymptomsandwarningsignsofSCAandthenewCIFprotocoltoincorporateSCApreventionstrategiesintomystu-dent’ssportsprogram.

STUDENT-ATHLETESIGNATURE

PARENT/GUARDIANSIGNATURE

PRINTSTUDENT-ATHLETE’SNAME	DATE

PRINTPARENT/GUARDIAN’SNAME	DATE

For more information about Sudden Cardiac Arrest visit

California Interscholastic Federation http.www.cifstate.org

Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation http:www.epsavealife.org

CardiacWise (20-minute training video) http.www.sportsafetyinternational.org

PURSUING VICTORY WITH HONOR CODE OF CONDUCT FOR INTERSCHOLASTIC
STUDENT-ATHLETES

Interscholastic athletic competition should demonstrate high standards of ethics and sportsmanship and promote the development of good character and other important life skills. The highest potential of sports is achieved when participants are committed to pursuing victory with honor according to six core principles: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship (the “Six Pillars of Character”). This code applies to all student-athletes involved in interscholastic sports in California.

TRUSTWORTHINESS
1.	Trustworthiness – be worthy of trust in all I do.
•	Integrity – live up to high ideals of ethics and sportsmanship and always pursue victory with honor; do what’s right even when it’s unpopular or personally costly.
•	 Honesty – live and compete honorably; don’t lie, cheat, steal or engage in any other dishonest or unsportsmanlike conduct.
•	Reliability – fulfill commitments; do what I say I will do; be o time to practices and games. •	Loyalty – be loyal to my school and team; put the team above personal glory.

RESPECT
2.	Respect – treat all people with respect all the time and require the same of other student-athletes.
3.	Class – live and play with class; be a good sport; be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity; give fallen opponents help, compliment extraordinary performance, show sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals.
4.	 Disrespectful Conduct – don’t engage in disrespectful conduct of any sort including profanity, obscene gestures, offensive remarks of a sexual or racial nature, trash-talking, taunting, boastful celebrations, or other actions that demean individuals or the sport.
5.	 Respect Officials – treat contest officials with respect; don’t complain about or argue with official calls or decisions during or after an athletic event.

RESPONSIBILITY
6.	Importance of Education – be a student first and commit to getting the best education I can. Be honest with myself about the likelihood of getting an athletic scholarship or playing on a professional level and remember that many universities will not recruit student-athletes that do not have a serious commitment to their education, the ability to succeed academically or the character to represent their institution honorably.
7.	 Role-Modeling – Remember, participation in sports is a privilege, not a right and that I am expected to represent my school, coach and teammates with honor, on and off the field. Consistently exhibit good character and conduct yourself as a positive role model. Suspension or termination of the participation privilege is within the sole discretion of the school administration.
8.	 Self-Control – exercise self-control; don’t fight or show excessive displays of anger or frustration; have the strength to overcome the temptation to retaliate.
9.	Healthy Lifestyle – safeguard your health; don’t use any illegal or unhealthy substances including alcohol, tobacco and drugs or engage in any unhealthy techniques to gain, lose or maintain weight.
10.	Integrity of the Game – protect the integrity of the game; don’t gamble. Play the game according to the rules.

FAIRNESS
11.	Be Fair – live up to high standards of fair play; be open-minded; always be willing to listen and learn.

CARING
12.	Concern for Others – demonstrate concern for others; never intentionally injure any player or engage in reckless behavior that might cause injury to myself or others.
13.	 Teammates – help promote the well-being of teammates by positive counseling and encouragement or by reporting any unhealthy or dangerous conduct to coaches.

CITZENSHIP
14.	Play by the Rules – maintain a thorough knowledge of and abide by all applicable game and competition rules.
15.	Spirit of rules – honor the spirit and the letter of rules; avoid temptations to gain competitive advantage through improper gamesmanship techniques that violate the highest traditions of sportsmanship.

An athlete may be disciplined or removed from a team for violation of any of the provisions of the Pursuing Victory with Honor Code of Conduct.