UTEP Researching Concussions With Help Of High School Athletes; UIL Establishes New Injury Rules
High school athletes will have to play by new rules next school year.
That’s because students all over the state will have to follow different guidelines on how to deal with head injuries.
Under the new rules established by the University Interscholastic League, high school athletes of any sport will be barred from going back into a game for the rest of the day if they’ve suffered a head injury.
They will also need clearance from a licensed medical professional to be able to play in the next game. Under the old rules, coaches and unlicensed trainers could give players the go-ahead to get back into a game if they showed no ill symptoms after a 15 minute wait. It should be noted that “unlicensed trainers” does not refer to Athletic Trainers, who are certified professionals with a background in sports medicine.
Dr. Anthony Salvatore, a researcher at UTEP’s Concussion Management Clinic, told ABC-7 he thinks the new rules are a step in the right direction. However, he adds that there are probably high schools who don’t have access to proper medical care.
“High school athletes recover differently than collegiate athletes. We have to be real careful and make sure they’ve truly recovered from a concussion,” he said.
Both UTEP and local high school athletes have the chance to participate in a study being conducted in the College of Health Sciences. Athletes answer questions on the “ImPACT Test,” a web-based computer survey.
Researchers compare a player’s pre-season health to his or her post-injury symptoms. Based on the results, they make recommendations to trainers and coaches as to when would be the appropriate time for that athlete to return to the field and to the classroom.
