Concussion Information

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are caused by a bump or blow to the head. Even a “ding,” “getting your bell run, “ or what seems to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious.

You can’t see a concussion. Signs and symptoms of concussion can show up right after the injury or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury. If your child reports any symptoms of concussion, or if you notice the symptoms yourself, seek medical attention right away.

Prevention

Teach proper skating technique (head up to see surroundings, knee bend for proper balance) and how to correctly give and receive a hit (see USAHockey.com for material). This is applicable for both boys and girls.
Helmets must fit securely around the head and be fastened tightly.
Perform neck strengthening exercises.
Do not allow players to play in a dangerous manner. The attitude of the coach and parent plays a role in a player’s aggressiveness.
Teach your players about the prevention, management, and treatment of concussions.
Encourage all players to get a baseline test performed by health care professionals. Baseline tests enable medical staff to more accurately diagnose the severity of a concussion and monitor the athlete's readiness for returning to play.

CONCUSSION CERTIFICATION

According to Minnesota State Law, all coaches and officials must receive initial training regarding concussions. Minnesota Hockey requires coaches to participate in refresher training once every two years. Each coach must complete and provide a certification and acknowledgement form to the association outlining the coach's understanding of his/her responsibilities related to concussion prevention and management prior to participating in any team activities.

Coach Concussion Certification Form

Assessing a Potential Concussion

The following are tools that can be used to assess a player if you suspect a concussion. These are not diagnostic tools. For proper diagnosis, the player should always be seen by a health care professional.

MEMORY: Ask the player questions they should know the answer to such as date, period, opponent.
FOCUS: Talk with the player, are they focusing on the conversation? Able to speak with coherent sentences?
PHYSICAL TEST: Ask the player to touch their finger to their nose numerous times, is the player able to do this properly?

While assessing the player, keep in mind the most common signs and symptoms of concussions.

Signs & Symptoms

Management

If you suspect a player has a concussion, you should take the following steps:

Remove athlete from play, keep him/her supervised, and alert the athlete's parents of the signs and symptoms. This is required of youth coaches and officials by Minnesota State Law.
Ensure athlete is evaluated by an informed health care professional. Do not try to judge the seriousness of the injury yourself.
Inform the athlete’s parents of Minnesota Hockey's suggested “Return to Play” guidelines.

Concussion Reporting & Medical Clearance Policy

A head coach or coach in charge of any team activity who has knowledge of a player sustaining a concussion or exhibiting concussion type symptoms shall complete a Minnesota Hockey Concussion Reporting and Return to Play form relating to the injury and ensure that the form is delivered to the team manager within 48 hours of receipt of information that a player sustained a concussion or exhibited concussion type symptoms. The team manager shall provide a copy of the report to the player’s parent or legal guardian and association president or other delegated representative tasked with monitoring reports under this rule. Until the completed Return to Play portion of the form is received by the team manager or coach, the coach and team manager shall ensure that the player does not participate in any team physical activities.

Concussion Medical Clearance Form

Return to Play Guidelines

These guidelines are meant to act as a suggestion for players after they suffer a concussion. The length of each phase varies depending on the severity of the concussion and the individual. Players should continue to the next phase only if all the signs and symptoms of a concussion are gone. An informed health care professional should be consulted throughout the return to play protocol, especially if the signs and symptoms continue or reappear at any time.

Concussion 101

Dr. Mike Evans provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the dangers of concussions and the mystery surrounding concussion treatment.

Concussions in Hockey

Hal Tearse, Former Minnesota Hockey Coach-In-Chief & Current Safety Committee Chair discusses concussions, signs, symptoms, recovery time and prevention.