ATHLETICS AND HEAD INJURIES – SHARKS PARENTS AND ATHLETES
Sarasota Sharks is a leading organization focused on youth development. As a part of our mission your child’s safety is extremely important, so we’d like to take a few minutes to share with you information about the risks of head injuries and some new requirements under Florida Law for youth sports organizations.
During its 2012 regular session the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 291 to ensure that parents, coaches and athletes are informed of the risks associated with head injuries and to mandate minimum standards for education, informed consent and re-entry after suspected injury.
The law requires the following:
- Education of athletic coaches, officials, administrators, and youth athletes and their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury.
- The parent or guardian of a youth who is participating in athletic competition or who is a candidate for an athletic team to sign and return an informed consent each year before participating in athletic competition or engaging in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical activity associated with the youth's candidacy for an athletic team. ·Each youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be immediately removed from the activity.
- A youth athlete who has been removed from an activity may not return to practice or competition until the youth submits to the athletic coach a written medical clearance to return stating that the youth athlete no longer exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or other head injury.
- Medical clearance must be authorized by the appropriate health care practitioner trained in the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of concussions as defined by the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee of the Florida High School Athletic Association.
After reviewing the attached materials from the CDC please sign and return the informed consent below to the Sarasota Sharks office.
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have received and reviewed the attached
Concussion in Sports Fact Sheet from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
