NFHS Concussion Course Reaches 200,000 Milestone

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The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) remains at the forefront of the concussion issue in sports as more than 200,000 individuals have taken the "Concussion in Sports – What You Need to Know'' online course.

Developed by the NFHS in May 2010 as a part of its Coach Education Program, this free online course, which can be accessed at www.nfhslearn.com, provides a brief overview of how a person can recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion.

“We are pleased that high school coaches and administrators are continuing to educate students, parents and others about the issue of concussion in sports,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “This course is a tremendous resource to help the leaders in high school sports as they seek to minimize the risk of injury for our nation’s student-athletes.”

The course is hosted by Michael Koester, M.D., chair of the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and director of the Sports Concussion Program at the Slocum Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Eugene, Oregon. Individuals have access to the course’s printable resources, including a parent’s guide to concussion in sports, a coach’s guide, an athlete fact sheet and materials to implement a protocol for concussion treatment.

The NFHS has been the leader among national sports organizations in establishing guidelines to deal with concussions. In 2008, the SMAC advocated that a concussed athlete must be removed from play and not allowed to play on the same day. In 2009, the position was adopted by a leading group of sports concussion experts and the National Football League (NFL).

All NFHS rules publications covering 17 sports contain guidelines for the management of a student exhibiting signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion. The language reads: “Any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion, such as loss of consciousness, headaches, dizziness, confusion or balance problems, shall be immediately removed from the contest and shall not return to play until cleared by an appropriate health-care professional.”

The NFHS Coach Education Program began in 2007 with two core courses – Fundamentals of Coaching and First Aid for Coaches. To date, more than 150,000 coaches have completed Fundamentals of Coaching, and 45 of the 51 NFHS member associations have adopted or recommended the course. All 21 of the NFHS coach education courses, including sport-specific courses for basketball, football, soccer, softball, spirit, track and field, volleyball and wrestling, are available at www.nfhslearn.com

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This press release was written by Eamonn Reynolds, a summer intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department, and a senior at Ohio University.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and fine arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.6 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.