What concussion education should my child's sport give us each season?

The Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport (2nd edition, March 2024) says everyone with a role in the sport community, including athletes and parents/caregivers, should receive concussion education every year.

The education should cover:

• the definition of concussion
• possible mechanisms of injury
• common signs and symptoms
• steps to prevent concussions and other injuries (including the sport's code of conduct, if there is one)
• what to do when an athlete has a suspected concussion or more serious head injury
• the medical assessment needed, including the Return-to-School and Return-to-Sport Strategies
• return-to-sport medical clearance requirements

The guideline gives the example of an education sheet (the Pre-season Concussion Education Sheet) that everyone reviews and signs at registration or before each season. It also suggests pre-season in-person orientation sessions on the sport's concussion protocol and code of conduct.

Source: Parachute, Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport, 2nd edition: https://parachute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Concussion-Guideline-2024.pdf