Walpole High School has established the following Concussion Protocol for all student-athletes in our interscholastic programs, which is in compliance to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 111, Section 222. All parents and student-athletes are expected to be familiar with its contents.

Any student-athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (headache, dizziness, confusion, balance problems or loss of consciousness) shall be removed from play immediately and shall not return to play until cleared by both a Physician and the school’s Certified Athletic Trainer.

The student-athlete must adhere to the following Concussion Policy:

1. The student-athlete shall not return to practice or competition during which the student has, or is suspected to have, suffered a concussion.

2. If a concussion is suspected, the student-athlete shall not resume participation in physical education or extracurricular athletic activity until they have been cleared by the school’s health care professional (this person must be a Medical Doctor, Certified Athletic Trainer or other appropriately trained or licensed healthcare professional), and the family’s health care professional.

3. This clearance must be in writing.

4. The clearance may not be on the same date on which the student was removed from play.

5. The Athletic Director/Trainer will collaborate with the school nurse and other staff to monitor each athlete's academic progress. If assignments are not completed in a timely manner, the athlete may be temporarily held out of participation until the work is made up. 

Away Contest Policy:

1. If in the event that the away team does not have an appropriately trained healthcare professional on staff, any student who has sustained a possible concussion is “done for the day” and will not be cleared to re-enter play until seen by a healthcare professional.

2. The “Report of Head Injury” form must be filled out by the on-site coach and/or Certified Athletic Trainer if applicable.

3. Once the student-athlete has been cleared by the appropriate health care professional, they will follow the school’s 6 Stage Graded Return-To-Play Protocol.

Please note that if new signs and symptoms appear during any of these days, the player will be deemed ineligible and require new clearance for return to play.

6 Stage Graded Return-To-Play Protocol**

Stage 1: Low levels of physical activity- This includes 5-15 minutes of walking, light jogging, light stationary biking and light weightlifting (low weight-moderate repetitions, no bench press, and no squatting with weight) with the goal of slightly increasing the student-athlete’s heart rate. The student-athlete must be symptom-free with daily activities, including school, for at least 24 hours to begin Stage 1. 

Stage 2: Moderate levels of physical activity with added body/head movement- This includes moderate intensity jogging, brief running, moderate intensity stationary cycling, and moderate intensity weightlifting (with a reduced time/weight from the student-athlete’s typical routine).

Stage 3: Heavy non-contact physical activity- This includes sprinting/running, high intensity stationary cycling, completing a regular weightlifting routine, and non-contact sport-specific drills including agility drills with three planes of movement.

Stage 4: Sport-specific practice- The fourth stage will involve a full non-contact practice, including training drills (passing, shooting, catching drills, etc.) with the goal of elevated heart rate, coordination, and increased thinking.

*If the student-athlete completes stage 4 without return of symptoms, he/she will then take the ImPACT test. The student-athlete requires medical clearance from both the family health care professional and Certified Athletic Trainer to progress to stage 5.

Stage 5: Full-Contact Practice- The fifth stage consists of a full-contact practice, or going live (i.e. scrimmaging) in a controlled environment.

Stage 6: Return to competition- The student-athlete will fully return to sport/game play.

**If symptoms were to reappear during or following one of the stages above, the athlete would wait until they are once again 24+ hours symptom-free, then repeat the same step until they can do so without symptoms. Per discretion of the administration, a student-athlete may be withheld from return to play following a concussion if they are not meeting academic expectations.

Walpole High School’s Graded Return-To-Play Protocol is based on the most recent evidence and follows the consensus statement on concussion in sport that was developed after the 5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Berlin in October 2016.

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2017/04/26/bjsports-2017-097699 

Last updated: December 14, 2022