How can I keep my child, who participates in lots of sports, safe from concussion?

Always make sure your child is wearing properly fitted safety gear appropriate for whichever sport she is participating in and that she has had proper instruction to safely participate at her skill level.

For many team sports, particularly at the high school and college levels, check to see if the team has a concussion management program so that your child can receive effective evaluation and treatment in the event she is injured. Many of the schools in the Mother Lode, including Sonora, Summerville, Bret Harte and Calaveras High Schools, as well as Columbia College, participate in ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), a computerized concussion evaluation system. This system first provides baseline tests for each athlete before training or competition begins. Then, if the athlete is injured, a post-injury test is used to compare with the baseline test, allowing the medical team to assess the potential for or severity of brain injury. This system allows your medical provider to determine when the athlete is ready to return to daily activities and safely return to play.