As an athletic trainer, this topic interests me because I beleive it is beneficial to research the current best practices that college football programs should use to manage concussions and return their athletes back to play safely. It is essential to research these best practices to assure college athletes are identified promptly and are treated effectively after they experience concussions.
The overall purpose of this capstone project was to gain a better understanding of best practice protocols and implementation for concussions in collegiate football programs through completing a systematic literature review of current research over the past five years
To identify and evaluate current research on concussion protocols that are being implemented in college football programs
To explore risks and benefits associated with the concussion protocols in place to identify the best concussion protocols for management and return to play
To raise awareness of the seriousness and short and long term consequences of concussions in college football
To educate college football programs through the research provided in my capstone project, on the best practices to implement to ensure the safety of all college football athletes