As high school student-athletes begin the academic year and participate in double-day sports practices statewide, the California Interscholastic Federation is drawing attention to the health risks associated with concussions, heat stroke and dehydration.
As a result, the CIF is launching an ongoing campaign by distributing a "Ten Tips "card to help parents easily identify potential life threatening injuries. The card also suggests precautionary measures that can prevent thousands of injuries.
Additionally, the CIF will host two town hall meetings -- one in Southern California and another in Northern California to educate parents statewide. Professional athletes, students, coaches and teachers will be on site to present the "Ten Tips" and answer questions.
"Each year, somewhere between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur in the United States," said Marie M. Ishida, CIF State executive director. "Concussions can have serious, long-term health effects with a variety of symptoms such as headache, nausea, fatigue, confusion, memory problems and more. We need to raise awareness around the seriousness of what are often dismissed as minor injuries, which is why we hope the Ten Tips card and upcoming town hall meetings will be helpful and informative to our athletes and their families."
A high school student-athlete who sustains a concussion is three times more likely to sustain another. Moreover, he or she may lack the proper diagnosis and management of a concussion, which can result in more serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death. These effects are cumulative in athletes who return to play prior to complete recovery.