New Michigan Concussion Law Affects Plymouth-Canton Schools Sports

This article was written by Aysha Jamali and Nicole Krawcke

Michigan's new concussion law, which went into effect in June, regulates sports concussions and students' return to athletic activity. 

"All of our coaches have completed the online training on concussions," said Phil Freeman, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Operations. "

The law requires that all coaches, employees and volunteers involved in youth athletics complete an online training program. All physical education teachers also completed the training, Gordon said, which does a nice job of teaching people who don't have experience with concussion injuries.

That approval must come from a health professional who is required to sign a written clearance. 

"These new protocols are not much different from those we followed in the past," Freeman said. "The biggest change is in parent notification of the signs and symptoms of a concussion and the specific forms for return to practice and competition."

"It's better to miss one game than the whole season," reads literature on the matter.

By law, parents must also sign a specific statement before their children are allowed to participate in sports or physical education classes. Gordon said all Novi students' parents signed the form. 

Michigan was the 39th state to enact the law, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health, to promote awareness of concussions — traumatic brain injuries caused by bumps, blows, or jolts to the head that can have serious consequences. 

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention teamed up to provide high schools and parents with resources. The NFHS course teaches:

• the impact sports-related concussion can have on players
• how to recognize a suspected concussion
• the proper protocols to manage a suspected concussion
• steps to help a player return to play safely after experiencing a concussion

The form parents must sign educates them on the signs, symptoms and consequences of concussions. It also shares facts like:

• Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness.
• Athletes who have, at any point in their lives, had a concussion have an increased risk for another concussion.
• Young children and teens are more likely to get a concussion and take longer to recover than adults.

Do you think Michigan's new law is an effective way to promote concussion awareness? Tell us in the comments.