Eugene Metro Fútbol Club recognizes the potential danger and long-term health consequences of this often difficult to diagnose form of traumatic brain injury. The policy is intended to provide easy-to-understand guidelines related to players who have been diagnosed with or are suspected of having a concussion. The policy is for coaches, parents, and players, but is to be shared with any other adults or participants in Eugene Metro FC. At EMFC, we want to ensure our players are provided the safest environment possible. As such, EMFC is incorporating a Concussion Policy to educate EMFC members about concussions, help prevent concussions from occurring, and identify when a concussion may have taken place.
Per Oregon Senate Bill 721 passed in June 2013 and put into effect January 1, 2014, youth coaches need to be educated about concussions. It is mandatory for all recreational and competitive coaches to have completed a concussion training module and have a certificate of completion on file to be updated every year.
EMFC will follow the Oregon Youth Soccer Association recommended Concussion protocol. Please read the following protocol carefully.
2013_PHS_OYSA_Concussion_Protocol
Here are the guidelines EMFC encourages coaches, players, and families to follow:
- Learn about concussions! The athlete, family, and coach should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of a concussion.
- Identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion. As a member of the sports community; we must recognize the signs of a concussion and check to see if the player is experiencing symptoms of a concussion.
- ‘When in doubt, take the player out.’ It is best practice to remove the player from competition if there are signs and/or symptoms a concussion has occurred.
- Do not let the player return. The player should not return to competition until he or she is evaluated by a medical physician and cleared to play.
- Monitor player recovery. Players who have experienced a concussion should be allowed to return to participate on a gradual basis. Players should continue to be monitored with the goal that the player will eventually return to full participation at an individual pace. Not all concussions are the same.
When a parent registers their player, they agree to the following: “If my child is diagnosed with a concussion during a Eugene Metro FC activity or during any other activity, including those outside EMFC, or if my player has a prior head injury, I will inform my child’s coach of such diagnosis prior to the start of the season or before my child returns to play.”
Educational material for coaches, players, and parents:
Coaches will have to take the following Concussion course each year.
NFHS Learning Center provides a free course in English and Spanish. Online Concussion in Sports Course
The following educational materials help players, parents, and coaches to learn more about concussions.
- 2013_PHS_OYSA_Concussion_Protocol
- 2013_PHS_OYSA_Concussion_Sideline_Management_Quick_Reference
- 2013_PHS_OYSA_Concussion_Sideline_Documentation_Form If you have a suspected concussion, please fill out the form with as much information as you can gather to help parents and primary care professional in their evaluation of the athlete.
- 2013_PHS_OYSA_Concussion_Fact_Sheet_for_Parents
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