Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Recommended Practices to Develop an Athletic Safety Plan

It is understood that no piece of protective equipment can eliminate risk from sports. At Xenith, we believe in using the best technology available, while simultaneously promoting a multi-faceted safety plan. Our helmets are designed to provide a simple, but very effective fitting system that remains snug throughout play. 

During the recent Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sport National Meeting, speakers representing the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Korey Stringer Institute, American Medical Society of Sports Medicine and other medical organizations offered these recommended practices for youth leagues and school districts to develop their own safety plans:

·        Every school or youth organization should develop an emergency action plan for handling potentially life-threatening injuries, including a referral plan for concussions

·        Enforce the standard use of sport-specific equipment, including proper fit and re-certification

·        Pre-participation exams should include concussion-specific questions

·        Preseason education for coaches, players and parents should teach the basics of concussion, including that helmets do not prevent concussions

·        Athletes suspected of sustaining a concussion are not permitted to return to a practice, game or activity on the same day

·        Athletes suspected of sustaining a concussion are not permitted to return to participation until receiving written clearance from a qualified medical professional

·        No child or adolescent should return to sport or activity unless he or she has managed a return to school

·        Implementation of a graduated return-to-participation protocol should include at least five steps with no more than two in a single day

·        All schools and organizations should construct a comprehensive medical-management plan for acute care of potential head or cervical spine injury

I hope these best practices are valuable to you as you prepare for the upcoming season.

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