Concussion

• Headache or head pressure
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or balance issues
• Blurry or double vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Foggy or groggy feeling
• Poor concentration
• Memory trouble
• Feeling slowed down
• Increased irritability
• Unusual sadness
• Nervousness or anxiety
• Sleeping more than normal
• Sleeping less than normal
• Difficulty falling asleep

To objectively evaluate and manage head injuries, our school utilizes Sway Medical, an FDA-cleared mobile application. Sway uses the built-in motion sensors of a smartphone to precisely measure an athlete’s balance and cognitive function.

• When: Completed when each team roster is finalized.

• Why: Establishes an individual "brain blueprint" unique to your child.

• What: Measures normal balance, reaction time, memory, and impulse control.

• Validity: Baseline profiles must be updated annually.

Under state law and school policy, any athlete suspected of a concussion will be removed from play immediately. To safely return to their sport, the athlete must be fully symptom-free, match their Sway baseline scores, and successfully complete this gradual, supervised 5-step exertion progression:

• Step 1: Symptom-Limited Activity – Daily activities that do not worsen symptoms (e.g., attending school, light reading, walking, stationary bike).

• Step 2: Light Aerobic Exercise – 15–20 minutes of walking, swimming, or stationary cycling. No resistance training.

• Step 3: Sport-Specific Exercise – Non-contact running or skating drills. No head-impact activities.

• Step 4: Non-Contact Training Drills – Complex training drills (e.g., passing, sprinting). Progressive resistance training may begin.

• Step 5: Full Contact Practice – Following clearance by a licensed physician and the Athletic Trainer, the athlete participates in normal training.

Note: Each step takes a minimum of 24 hours. If any symptoms return during a step, the athlete must stop and drop back to the previous successful step after 24 hours of rest. 

The final step is signing and returning the IHSA Post-Concussion Consent Form to your athletic trainer:

IHSA Post-Concussion Consent Form

While most concussion symptoms resolve with time, seek emergency medical care if your child exhibits any of the following "red flags":

• One pupil is larger than the other.

• Extreme drowsiness or inability to wake up.

• A headache that gets progressively worse and does not go away.

• Repeated vomiting or nausea.

• Slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination.

• Convulsions, seizures, or unusual behavior/confusion.