Strange Case Continued ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

We have a concussion protocol and it is rare I have ever had to invoke it during a basketball game. We have to file a report if we send a kid out for a possible concussion or "concussion-like symptoms" regardless of the sport.

Connecticut officials are very fortunate in that we never have to deal with concussions. Several years ago the State legislature considered giving officials the responsibility of dealing with concussions.

Luckily, we have an officials arm (CIAC Officials Association, $13.00 annual fee) of our state interscholastic sport governing body (CIAC) that attended public hearings and lobbied for us. As a result, the State legislature decided that only health care professionals and coaches will determine whether, or not, players have been concussed, and how to deal with such.

Coaches at all levels of interscholastic sports (even middle school) must be trained (and periodically retrained) in concussion protocols. As officials we are told to only observe and advise, and we are actually told to never to use the word "concussion" in describing an injury to a coach, instead it's more like, "Coach. Check out number twenty-two. He may be injured". After that it's 100% up to the health care professional (trainer) and/or coach to decide how to move forward, officials have nothing to do with anything concussion related.