Protocol for Head Injories

Amherst Youth Basketball Protocol for Head Injuries

Note that AYB Coaches do not have medical training.
A coach should remove an athlete from play if a concussion is suspected.
Coaches: when in doubt, sit them out!
A coach should look for signs and symptoms of a concussion if an athlete has experienced a trauma or blow to the head or body.
Some concussion symptoms are listed below:

Emotional Symptoms (Feelings)	Maintenance Symptoms (Energy)
Headache	Fogginess	Irritability (Grumpy)	Fatigue (Body is Tired)
Nausea	Feeling "Slowed Down"	Sadness	Drowsy (Mind is Tired)
Vomiting	Trouble Concentrating	More Emotional than Usual	Sleeping Less than Usual
Balance Problems	Troubles with Memory	Nervous or Anxious	Sleeping More than Usual
Dizziness	Change in Smell		Trouble Falling or Staying Asleep
Sensitivity to Light	Change in Taste		Change in Appetite
Sensitivity to Noise	Ringing in the Ear		Change in Energy Levels
Visual Problems
Numbness or Tingling
Neck Pain

Coaches should be proactive when it comes to a head injury.

Please do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself. Health care professionals have a number of methods that they can use to assess the severity of such injuries.
Please record the following information, which can assist health care professionals in assessing the athlete after the injury:

Cause of the injury and force of the hit or blow to the head or body
Any loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out) and if so, for how long
Any memory loss immediately following the injury
Any seizures immediately following the injury
Number of previous concussions (if known)

Coaches should inform the athlete's parent(s) or guardian(s) of the injury as soon as possible. Coaches should ask the parents to monitor the athlete for signs or symptoms that appear or get worse once the athlete is at home or returns to school.
Coaches, please notify your level coordinator about the situation in a timely fashion. Also, a record of the injury along with all pertinent information regarding the injury along with any communication with the parents should be forwarded to the level coordinator.

ATHELETE RETURNING TO PLAY

Based on the trauma and whether or not symptoms present at that time or possibly at a later time, AYB coaches discuss with the parents ways in which the player can be monitored during AYB events. AYB coaches are not medical personnel and, therefore, cannot determine the severity or diagnosis the player. They may simply use their best judgement to determine whether or not a head injury exists. Ultimately, the parent(s) or guardian(s) should be at all events and should be in the best position to determine whether or not their child appears to have an injury. AYB recommends that all players with head injuries are evaluated by a healthcare professional. In this case, it is desirable for a healthcare professional to clear an athlete to play in AYB before returning to any on-court activities.