Sample Awareness, Education, and Prevention Strategies – Coach/Community Coach Liaison

Be knowledgeable about:

• school board’s concussion policy and procedures for prevention, identification, and Return to School Plan (Return to Learn and Return to Physical Activity);
• safe practices for the activity/sport (e.g., the rules and regulations and the specific activity/sport pages in the Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education);
• the risks of a concussion or other potential injuries associated with the activity/sport and how to minimize these risks
• the requirements for students to wear a helmet during specific activities. Helmets do not prevent concussions. They are designed to protect against skull fractures, major brain injuries (including bleeding into or around the brain), and brain contusions and lacerations. For more information on helmets consult Helmet Information
• current body contact skills and techniques when coaching/supervising sports that involve body contact (e.g., safe tackling in tackle football)
• rule changes associated with minimizing the risks of concussion (initiated by school board/athletic association/referee association)

Determine that:

• protective equipment is approved by a recognized equipment standards association (e.g., Canadian Safety Standards, National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment), is well maintained, and is visually inspected prior to activity
• protective equipment (e.g., football helmet) is inspected within approved timelines, by a certified re-conditioner as required by manufacturer

As required by Policy/Program Memoradum No. 158: School Board Policies on Concussion
Be knowledgeable about:

• the Ontario Government's Concussion Awareness Resources e-Booklet and/or school-board-approved concussion resources
• the school-board-approved Concussion Code of Conduct for Coaches

• Distribute to students participating in interschool athletics and their parents/guardians of students participating in interschool athletics:
  • the Ontario Government's Concussion Awareness Resources e-Booklet for the appropriate student's age and/or school-board-approved concussion resources
  • the appropriate school-board-approved Concussion Code of Conduct
• Receive confirmation that all students participating in interschool athletics and their parents/guardians of students participating in interschool athletics have reviewed the:
  • Ontario Government's Concussion Awareness Resources e-Booklet and/or school-board-approved concussion resources and
  • appropriate Concussion Code of Conduct

Communicate with Students about:

• General concussion information:

  • definition
  • seriousness of concussions
  • causes
  • signs and symptoms
  • identification procedures
  • Return to School plan

• Information about the activity:

  • the general risks of a concussion associated with the activity/sport
  • strategies to minimize risks associated with the activity/sport
  • the dangers and potential long-term consequences of participating in an activity/sport while experiencing the signs and symptoms of a concussion

• The importance of:

  • respecting the rules of the game; ethics of play; practising good sportsmanship; and respecting their opponents, coaches and officials
  • demonstrating respect for the mutual safety of all participants (e.g., no hits to the head, follow the rules and regulations of the activity/sport)
  • immediately reporting any visible clues (signs) or symptoms of a concussion to the coach/community coach liaison/trainer and removing themselves from the activity/sport after a hit, fall, or collision
  • encouraging a peer with visible clues (signs) or symptoms to remove themselves from the activity/sport and to inform the coach
  • reporting a teammate who has any sign(s) or symptom(s) of a concussion and refraining from pressuring injured students to play
  • using protective equipment (e.g., helmets, padding, guards) that is properly fitted (as per manufacturer’s guidelines) and properly worn

• Determine that:

  • when students are permitted to bring their own protective equipment, it is properly fitted (as per manufacturer’s guidelines), properly worn, in good working order, and suitable for personal use
  • when students are required to wear a helmet, it is properly fitted (as per manufacturer's guidelines) and properly worn

Communicate with parents/guardians about:

• General concussion information:
  • definition
  • seriousness of concussions
  • causes
  • signs and symptoms
  • identification procedures
  • Return to School plan
• Information about the activity:
  • risks associated with the activity
  • activity/sport-specific concussion prevention/mitigation strategies
  • importance of encouraging ethical values and respect for peers
  • importance of determining that when students are permitted to bring their own protective equipment it is properly fitted (as per manufacturer’s guidelines), properly worn, in good working order, and suitable for personal use
  • importance of recognizing and reporting concussion signs and symptoms

• Reinforce and review information regarding concussion education/safety shared at the beginning of the interschool activity (as appropriate). (Refer to section: At the beginning of the interschool athletic-season – Communicate with students about)
• Provide instruction/information about:
  • principles of head-injury prevention (for example keeping head up, avoiding collision)
  • activity/sport-specific rules and regulations of body contact (e.g., no hits to the head)
  • body contact skills and techniques and require the successful demonstration of these skills in practice prior to competition
  • the rules and regulations of the activity/sport during practices and games/competition (particularly those that limit or eliminate body contact, or equipment-on-body contact)
• For interschoool athletic competitions/games that involve body contact:
  • Use game/match officials who are knowledgeable, certified, and/or experienced in officiating the sport.