Youth Sports – Head Injury Guidelines
And Procedures

This content has been copied from and provided by the WIAA website.

Policies for the management of concussion and head injury in youth sports.

AN ACT Relating to requiring the adoption of policies for the management of concussion and head injury in youth sports; amending RCW 4.24.660 and adding a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW.

Each school district's board of directors shall work in concert with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) to develop the guidelines and other pertinent information and forms to inform and educate coaches, youth athletes, and their parent(s)/guardian(s) of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury including continuing to play after concussion or head injury. On a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet shall be signed and returned by the youth athlete and the athlete's parent and/or guardian prior to the youth athlete's initiating practice or competition.

A youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall be removed from competition at that time.

A youth athlete who has been removed from play may not return to play until the athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion and receives written clearance to return to play from that health care provider.

Read full text of the law –

What is needed to be in compliance?

WIAA MEMBER SCHOOLS:

• Adopt policies for the management of concussion and head injuries in youth sports.
• Shall ensure that all coaches (paid or volunteer) are educated in the nature and risk of concussion or head injury prior to the first practice/competition. This education shall include signs and symptoms of concussion/brain injury. This education is available at no charge to coaches via the sports specific WIAA online rules clinics.
• Shall annually require all athletes and the parent(s)/guardian(s) of those athletes to sign and return an information sheet relating to the nature and risk of concussion or head injury. This information sheet shall include the signs and symptoms of concussion/brain injury.
• Shall ensure that any athlete showing signs or symptoms of concussion/brain injury is removed from participation immediately, and not allowed to return to play until they have written clearance from a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion/brain injury.
• Shall require all non-profit youth sports groups utilizing school facilities to provide a statement of compliance with the policies for the management of concussion and head injury (Statement of Compliance). This statement of compliance shall be returned to the school district prior to the group’s first practice/competition.

COACHES:

• Shall be educated as to the nature and risk of concussion and head injuries including continuing to play after concussion or head injury. This education shall include signs and symptoms of concussion/brain injury. This education is available at no charge to coaches via the sports specific WIAA online rules clinics. Coaches shall educate their athletes on the signs and symptoms of concussion and encourage athletes to notify a coach if they or a teammate exhibits those signs or symptoms.
• Shall immediately remove from participation/competition any athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury.
• Shall not allow an athlete who has been removed from play because of a suspected concussion/brain injury to return to play until the athlete has received written clearance from a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of brain injuries.

Coaches resource packet English:
Coaches resource packet Spanish:

PARENTS/GUARDIANS:

• Shall annually review, sign and return to the school, a concussion and head injury information sheet prior to the youth athlete's initiating practice or competition. (Parent/Athlete Information Sheet)

Parents resource packet English:
Parents resource packet Spanish:

ATHLETES:

• Shall annually review, sign and return to the school, a concussion and head injury information sheet prior to initiating practice or competition. (Parent/Athlete Information Sheet) Athletes are encouraged to notify a coach if they or a teammate exhibit signs or symptoms of a concussion/brain injury.

Athletes resource packet English:
Athletes resource packet Spanish:

Licensed Health Care Providers

What licensed health care providers are trained in the evaluation and treatment of concussions/brain injuries and authorized to allow the athlete to return to play?

Research is currently being done to determine which other licensed health care providers may have sufficient training to qualify to authorize return to play. The WIAA will update schools and this website as this information becomes available.

Resources for Schools

A coach’s educational video is currently in production. It will be available by the end of July.

For coaches that need immediate training, see the CDC Heads Up website for the “Video on Concussion for High School Coaches”. And the coaches resource packet.

Parent/Athlete Information Sheet (WORD)
Parent Resource Packet (English)
Parent Resource Packet (Spanish)

Non-profit youth sports group statement of compliance (WORD)

Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports

Coaches resource packet English
Coaches resource packet Spanish

Parents resource packet English
Parents resource packet Spanish

Athletes resource packet English
Athletes resource packet Spanish

Heads Up Poster for Bulletin Boards

Heads Up Sheet for Clipboards

Other Resources:

WIAA

CDC - Concussion in Youth Sports