Concussion Awareness and Safety Recognition Policy

Objective
It is Miracle League of Northampton Township’s (“Miracle League”) intent to take steps to help ensure the health and safety of all Miracle League participants. All Miracle League participants should remember that safety comes first and should take reasonable steps to help minimize the risks for concussion or other serious brain injuries. 

Defining a Concussion
A concussion is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head as well as serial, cumulative hits to the head. Concussions can also occur from a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth—causing the brain to bounce around or twist within the skull. Although concussions are usually not life-threatening, their effects can be serious and therefore proper attention must be paid to individuals suspected of sustaining a concussion.

Suspected or Confirmed Concussion
A participant who is suspected of sustaining a concussion in a practice, game or competition shall be removed from practice, play or competition at that time. If a qualified medical professional is available on-site to evaluate the athlete, that person shall have final authority as to whether a concussion is suspected and if an athlete can return to play.

A concussion should be diagnosed, and an athlete should be removed from contact sports if:

  • There is a witnessed head injury with loss of consciousness for any amount of time.

  • There is a witnessed head injury with subsequent headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting or other symptoms of concussion.

The athlete should not return to sports until all symptoms attributed to the concussion have resolved, they have been cleared by a licensed medical professional trained in concussion management, and they have progressed through a gradual return to play protocol. A gradual return to play after complete symptom resolution takes at least five days before return to full contact competition.  

A concussion should be suspected for unwitnessed injuries if an athlete develops signs/symptoms of concussion and the athlete should be removed from play that day.

Recognizing Concussion in Athletes with Intellectual Disability

It may be more difficult to diagnose a concussion in athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) or other developmental disabilities (DD). When assessing for signs and symptoms of concussion, first identify the athlete’s preferred communication method (e.g., sign language (ASL), use of assistive communication device, or verbal) and structure (e.g., single-word, phrase, or sentence speech). Medical providers may also need to rely on the observations of family, friends, teammates, and interpreters to make the diagnosis and track recovery, rather than on the athlete’s history and physical examination alone.

Identifying a change in the athlete’s pattern of behavior is important, as a difference in their willingness to engage in their favorite activities/hobbies, level of independent functioning, or daily routines (e.g., sleep, appetite) may indicate underlying symptoms. Concussion cognitive testing alone will not be accurate for making a diagnosis of concussion in a population with ID. Questions related to symptoms should be compared to the athlete’s baseline (is this different from pre-injury?).

Signs and symptoms of a concussion:

  • Loss of consciousness (even for a brief period)

  • Change in mood, behavior or personality

  • Confusion, difficulty following instructions or completing tasks (compared to baseline)

  • New headache, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness

  • Change in balance (compared to the athlete’s baseline)

  • Increased light and/or noise sensitivity compared to usual 

Signs of more serious injury

In rare cases, a head injury can cause bleeding in the brain. Call emergency services for immediate care and transportation to an Emergency Room if an athlete has:

  • Headache that gets progressively worse

  • Repeated vomiting

  • Inability to wake up and/or new seizure

  • Repeat loss of consciousness

 Return to Play

A participant who has been removed from practice, play or competition due to a suspected concussion may not participate in Miracle League sports activities until either of the following occurs:

  • all signs and symptoms of a concussion have resolved, and a currently licensed, qualified medical professional provides written clearance for the athlete to return to practice, play and competition after completing a gradual return to play protocol. A gradual return to play after complete symptom resolution takes at least five days before return to full contact competition.

  OR

  •  a currently licensed, qualified medical professional determines that the athlete did not suffer a concussion and provides written clearance for the athlete to return to practice or play immediately. Written clearance in either of the scenarios above shall become a permanent record.

 Resources