Last updated on February 2nd, 2023 at 04:04 pm
Can athletes get a concussion or other head injury at a swim meet? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. As a result, if you help to host or run swim meets you need to be informed and ready. Athletes, coaches, officials, parents, and others also need information. What do you and they need to know? How to prevent, recognize and respond to concussions and other head injuries.
Note: Information on this site or provided through links is not a substitute for medical or professional care. Direct questions about diagnosis and treatment for a concussion to a physician or other qualified health care provider.
Contents for Concussion or Head Injuries at Swim Meets
Where To Find Information
So, what is a concussion? What are the symptoms? What are the risks? How does one get it and what treatment works best? To find answers to these questions and more, see the Center for Disease Control and Protection(CDC) HEADS UP.
Want information specific to youth sports, or teens in school sports? See HEADS UP to Youth Sports or HEADS UP to School Sports. Each has specialized information for coaches, parents, sports officials, and athletes. Officials and meet directors can also learn how to spot a concussion, and know what to do if one occurs in this Fact Sheet for Youth Sports Officials.
Free Online Courses
The CDC has free, online specialized training courses. See the CDC Youth Sports page for the course designed to help coaches, parents, and others keep athletes safe from concussion. The CDC School Sports page links to a course that teaches coaches, officials, parents, and students proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports.
Concussion and Return-to-Play Laws
Did you know that in the United States, every state has concussion safety laws in place? Click to find out more about the law in your state. Most laws include some type of mandate to remove “from play” an athlete showing signs of concussion. Do you know your obligations under the law? If it becomes necessary to remove an athlete from play, how and when can s/he return to play? Is any special authorization needed? Caution is wise when considering return-to-play decisions, especially involving young athletes.
Swim Meet Concussion Response Plan
Swim meet hosts can better care for people with head injuries and meet legal obligations by preparing in advance. What will be the concussion response plan at your meet? Does the facility or your swimming governing body have any policies which you’ll need to follow? What about the swim meet host organization? It’s important to find out. What is needed at your meet to comply with these policies and other legal requirements? For example:
- Because some states require all coaches to complete concussion training, some meet hosts require coaches to show proof of training (like that offered by the CDC or NFHS) when checking-in or receiving deck credentials.
- Many laws mandate some form of parental “informed consent” before a youth can take part in a sporting event. As a result, a meet host may want to restrict meet entry to those who meet this requirement. Most teams can certify to the meet host that their athletes are in compliance. This is because if it’s required by law to participate in a meet, it’s also likely required to participate in practice.
- As a back-up, a meet host could also provide a table with the necessary information and form for the parent to sign and turn in before their child(ren) can compete.
- What is the swim meet policy on removal from and return to play as a result of head injury? Is it widely known, understood, and used? If not, what needs to happen to increase people’s knowledge, understanding, and use of the policy?
- Note: The governing body, or meet host organization, may already have a designated policy to use. If not, consider asking them to get one.
Decide what needs to happen at the meet to comply with state law and other requirements, set up a plan, and do it.
USA Swimming Concussion Resources
USA Swimming has two great resources to consider including in a meet concussion plan.
- The Possible Concussion at the Pool? checklist helps referees and coaches find the best course of action after a possible head injury. A meet director, coach, or official can print or save this checklist, then keep it in a spot with easy access during a swim meet.
- Concussion Information Sheet for Parents and Athletes. To prepare for a meet, first, print or save this file in a meet accessible spot. Then, it’s easy to give to the athlete’s parent, or athlete, who receives a head injury at a swim meet. It could also be used at the “informed consent” table (mentioned above) if desired.
Summary
Although a relatively safe sport, there is still a risk of concussion in swimming. Therefore, it’s important for meet directors, coaches, officials, parents, athletes, and others to become informed about concussion prevention, recognition, and management. Fortunately, there are excellent, free resources available, including the CDC, HEADS UP site. Meet hosts, officials and coaches need to fulfill their obligations to concussion-related state laws as well as facility and governing body policies.
Title Photo Credit: Photo by Karolina Grabowska
Preparing for a swim meet? Check out The Ultimate Swim Meet To-Do List. Then, get a bird’s eye view of Who does What at Swim Meets. Both include easy-to-follow links to related information. Doing a smaller, simpler meet? Host a High School or Developmental Swim Meet will help.
Need more help? See 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers and Officials: 20+ Ways to Get them for Swim Meets.
Also, discover a few things you can do to Increase Safety at Swim Meets. Find ideas to implement before your meet as well as last-minute quick and easy tips!