Roaring Fork United Concussion Policy
At Roaring Fork United (RF United), we want to ensure our players are provided the safest environment possible. As such, RF United is incorporating a Concussion Policy to educate members about concussions, help prevent concussions from occurring, and identify when a concussion may have taken place.
Concussion Policy
Parent Concussion Policy: RF United 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 Roaring Fork United.
Per Colorado Senate Law 11-040 passed on March 14, 2011, and put into effect January 1, 2012, youth coaches need to be educated about concussions. It is MANDATORY for all recreational, intermediate, and competitive coaches to have completed a concussion training module and have a certificate of completion on file to be updated annually.
Parents: When a parent registers their player, they agree to the following:
If my child is diagnosed with a concussion during a Roaring Fork United activity or during any other activity, including those outside of Roaring Fork United 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 return to play. If a RF United staff, coach, or referee deems a player as having a potential concussion, they are within their right to remove the player from the game. Parents may not override the decision until they have their player evaluated by a physician and released to play.
All players, parents and coaches should review signs and symptoms of concussions on the CDC website. (https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/index.html)
If a player does have a head injury, that player must notify parents and coaches immediately.
Parents and Players: Learn about concussions!
Colorado Soccer Association Concussion Policy and Procedures
The athlete and family 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 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.