Athletic Training/Sports Medicine

The Longwood Central School District will assemble a concussion management team (CMT). The CMT will consist of the athletic director, school nurse, athletic trainer, school physician, and/or outside consultants as deemed necessary. The District’s CMT will coordinate the training for all coaches, parents and students.

The concussion program consists of five components:

• Education
• Baseline neurocognitive testing using the IMPACT product*
• Proper sideline management/guidelines
• Proper Emergency Room follow-up
• Proper Return to Play Protocol/Clearance 

* If the student was given the baseline test this information will be utilized to help determine their return to play. School Physician will still need to approve the student to return to play. 

The Longwood Central Schools will provide a course of instruction relating to the recognition of symptoms of concussions, monitoring, and seeking proper medical treatment for students who suffer such injuries. The course must include, but not be limited to the following content: the definition of a concussion; signs and symptoms of mild traumatic brain injuries and how such injuries may occur; practices regarding prevention; and guidelines for return to school activities after a pupil has suffered a concussion. The course is required to be completed on a biennial basis and shall be given to all school coaches, nurses, physical education teachers and athletic trainers. N.Y. Education Law 305(42)(a)( ii)

This education program can be provided by representatives of Orthopedic Associates of Long Island, St. Charles Hospital, trained school district representatives, Longwood’s chief medical officer(s), or NYSED/NYSPHSAA-approved courses.

Information related to concussions is posted on the school district’s website.  Additionally, information regarding where to locate information relating to concussion symptoms and return to play protocol will be included with the parent/guardian consent form required for a student’s participation in interscholastic sports.

This testing is what allows for OBJECTIVE measurement of severity of injury and extent of return of function after a concussion is sustained. It is an approximately 30-minute computer-based test that is administered to athletes who participate in contact/collision sports (football, soccer, wrestling, competitive cheerleading, softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse) before their athletic season starts. Baseline testing is performed once every two years. It measures several subtle aspects of brain function. The software utilized is IMPACT. This is the same software used by the NFL, NHL, and MLB. It allows for testing of athletes 12-65 years of age. This portion of the program is being sponsored by St. Charles Hospital. They will arrange for a block of baseline tests to be purchased from IMPACT. The baseline tests would then be administered in the school district computer labs. District-based personnel will be trained on how to proctor the testing. The data is then stored on an internet-based server. Access to the data is only granted by the school district and the parents. It is recommended that only personnel prepared to process this data be allowed access to it. If a student isn’t baseline tested, all other return-to-play procedures will be implemented to ensure a safe return to activity.

Coaches, athletic trainers, and school physicians will be trained on the proper guidelines for removing a student-athlete from play. As per the NYSPHSAA regulation any student removed from play because of suspected head injury cannot return to play on that day unless cleared by the school medical officer(s) approved by the Longwood Central School District.

It is imperative that an athlete who sustains a head injury be seen by trained medical officer familiar with concussion signs and symptoms. St. Charles Hospital is the only pediatric traumatic brain injury unit on Long Island. As part of the comprehensive concussion plan, all ER personnel at the hospital have in serviced on the most up-to-date information on concussions. Also as part of the program, the ER physicians would have access to the baseline IMPACT data to be used at the emergency room if necessary. It is therefore suggested that student-athletes be directed to St. Charles Hospital for evaluation if emergency room care is needed.

Once a student-athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, they should only be cleared back to athletics by an IMPACT-certified physician. In addition, the Longwood Central School District Chief Medical Officer “Chief Medical Officers for Concussion” has been appointed to allow our athletes access to a team of physicians who are certified concussion specialists.  No student should return to full athletics before going through a return-to-play protocol. This is usually a 3-5 day supervised program. Return to play following a concussion involves a stepwise progression once the individual is symptom-free. There are many risks to premature return to play, including a greater risk for a second concussion because of a lower concussion threshold, second impact syndrome (abnormal brain blood flow that can result in death), exacerbation of any current symptoms, and possibly increased risk for additional injury due to alteration in balance. No student /athlete should return to play while symptomatic.  Students are prohibited from returning to play the day the concussion is suspected. If there is any doubt as to whether a student has sustained a concussion, it should be treated as a concussion! (When in doubt sit them out.)

The following criteria will be utilized before any athlete is cleared to return to play:

• Asymptomatic during rest
• Asymptomatic during exertion
• Acceptable signs on IMPACT neurological testing

The athletic trainer and nurse will oversee a return-to-play protocol with the chief medical officer or the concussion-certified physician. Final return-to-play decisions will be made by a Concussion Certified Physician and/or Chief Medical Officer.