Millard Athletic Association

MAA Football Board

Policies & Procedures Pursuant to LB260

Coaches Training

The MAA Football Board will hold a mandatory meeting of all Head Coaches to provide notification of mandatory training related to recognition of symptoms of a concussion or brain injury. Head coaches will be informed of the following:

1.  Their responsibility to complete the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) “Heads Up Concussions in Youth Sports” online training course, found here, and provide a certificate of completion to the Football Board by July 1, 2012.

2.  Their responsibility to inform all of their assistant coaches of their responsibility to complete the CDC “Heads Up Concussions in Youth Sports” online training course, found here and provide a certificate of completion to the Football Board by July 1, 2012.

3.  Any coach’s failure to provide a certificate of completion to the Football Board by July 1, 2012 may result in dismissal from the coaching staff.

4.  The policies and procedures of the MAA Football Board related to notification of an athlete’s concussion and subsequent return to “active” status for practices and games.

5.  Responsibilities of providing every athlete and parent the CDC “Parent/Athlete Concussion Information Sheet,” collecting signatures of athletes and parents, and subsequently turning them into the Football Board, prior to any participation in practice or game.

Providing Athletes & Parent/Guardian with Information on Concussions

Prior to any physical participation, of any kind, head coaches shall provide a copy of the CDC “Parent/Athlete Concussion Information Sheet” to each athlete & parent/guardian on their team. On a separate copy of the information sheet, coaches shall secure the signature of both the athlete and parent/guardian. Subsequent to securing signatures, the signed copy of the information sheet shall be turned into the Football Board prior to August 1^st of each year.

Athlete Protection

Any athlete presenting with signs or symptoms of a concussion or brain injury, thereby being reasonably suspected of having sustained a concussion or brain injury, must be removed from participation in supervised athletic activities involving physical exertion, including, but not limited to, practices or games.

Such athlete shall not be permitted to participate in any supervised athletic activities involving physical exertion, including, but not limited to, practices or games, until the athlete

                (i) has been evaluated by a licensed health care professional,

(ii) has received written and signed clearance to resume participation in athletic activities from the licensed health care professional, and

 (iii) has submitted the written and signed clearance to resume participation in athletic activities to the

MAA Football Board, accompanied by written permission to resume participation from the athlete’s parent or guardian.

Head coaches shall notify immediately, the assigned Football Board representative, and the parent/guardian of the athlete, of the date and approximate time of the injury suffered by the athlete, the signs and symptoms of a concussion or brain injury that were observed, and any actions taken to treat the athlete.

Failure of a coach to comply with any of the above will result in dismissal from their coaching responsibilities.