Foxborough Takes The Lead On Concussion Safety

High School sports are getting under way again and the topic of concussions are top of mind for many. The biggest concern heading into the fall sports season is allowing players who may have sustained a concussion and who are not fully recovered, return to play too quickly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussions account for almost one in 10 sports injuries for young people ages 15-24.

What is an even more shocking statistic is that sports are second only to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of brain injury. These statistics are fueling growing concerns about the long-term side effects of concussions.

Foxborough’s Athletic Director Craig Najarian fielded questions in regards to the steps that Foxborough is taking to educate students and trainers on the signs, symptoms and side effects of concussions.

What are the steps that Foxborough is taking to help educate students on the seriousness of concussions?

We have been talking about this for awhile. Currently, we are in a partnership with Partners Healthcare. Our training staff is from Partners. We have our own concussion protocol already in Foxborough, but what we are doing now is refining it. With the new legislation, we needed to make adjustments.

I have been meeting frequently with our district and this comes up at all of our meetings. Everyone is asking each other, what are you doing? Everyone is trying to find their way.

Here in Foxborough our plan is to start with the imPACT software (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test). We speared-headed that movement. We were going to purchase it ourselves until Partners graciously agreed to purchase it for us. That was the first change. The next change was educating our kids.

Did you find educating the students difficult, considering many perceive concussions to not be a serious injury?

No I have not. We decided to handle this issue in a couple steps. First we held an assembly last fall where we brought in Dr. Eric Berkson from Partners to talk to the students. The next step is getting our coaches certified. We are chipping away at that now. We are trying to get them all certified and through the certification process. We have our protocols in place.

You turn on the news everyday, and you hear about another case. Concussions are real. It is not just buzz.