SPORTS Medicine Australia (SMA) is launching a nationwide campaign to help coaches, teachers, and sport medicine professionals safely manage the 100,000 sport-related concussions in Australia each year.
Concussion is a serious condition that concerns parents and young athletes across Australia.
More than 38,000 schools and community sports clubs across the country will receive SMA’s concussion-management poster in the coming weeks.
SMA Chief Executive Jamie Crain said that concussion management remained a confusing topic for many Australian parents, coaches, and teachers.
“Concussion is a major issue and it is imperative that all involved in community sport and school sport, especially those in rural, regional, and remote areas with no or limited access to team doctors, understand how to manage concussion properly for a safe return to play,” he said.
“The long-term impact of repetitive head trauma is not fully understood, so we must move forward with caution.”
Mr Crain said it was important that fears about concussion don’t prevent children and young people accessing the tremendous social, personal, physical, and mental health benefits that sport provides.
“When concussion is managed properly, the benefits of sport to the individual, teams, and families far outweigh the risks,” he said.
“The poster will help give all involved in or around sport, including parents, coaches, and teachers, the confidence to manage concussion safely.
“It has four easy-to-follow steps, with an emphasis on the health of the athlete and a return-to-play only after the recommended time.”
The four steps include:
1) Recognise that concussion has occurred and remove the athlete from play.
2) Resume light activities on the advice of a healthcare practitioner.
3) Review by a healthcare practitioner after athlete is symptom-free for 14 days.
4) Return to competition but not before day 21 post-concussion, only if the athlete has remained symptom-free for at least 14 days.
The poster is based on the ‘Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement 2024’ and the ‘Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport’ documents, and was developed and fully funded by SMA and developed in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Sport, the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, and the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
“The poster condenses the best contemporary evidence-based information on concussion,” Mr Crain said.
Mr Crain said a government-backed national concussion-awareness multimedia campaign would further raise awareness among athletes, coaches, and parents about how best to manage concussion.
“At SMA we are aware that our efforts can only go so far,” he said.
“We would be delighted to help state, territory, and federal governments deliver a fully resourced concussion awareness campaign to ensure that every young Australian’s health is protected.”
