MTSC and Lancaster Elite recognizes the potential danger and long-term health consequences of this often difficult to diagnose form of traumatic brain injury. The policy is intended to provide easy-to-understand guidelines related to players who have been diagnosed with or are suspected of having a concussion. The policy is for coaches, parents, and players, but is to be shared with any other adults or participants in MTSC Rec or Lancaster Elite. At MTSC and Lancaster Elite, we want to ensure our players are provided the safest environment possible. As such, MTSC and Lancaster Elite are incorporating a Concussion Policy to educate MTSC and Lancaster Elite members about concussions, help prevent concussions from occurring, and identify when a concussion may have taken place.

It is mandatory for all competitive coaches to have completed a concussion training module and have a certificate of completion on file to be updated every two years.

Here are the guidelines for MTSC and Lancaster Elite and encourages coaches, players, and families to follow:

• Learn about concussions! The athlete, family, and coach should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of a concussion.
• Identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion. As a member of the sports community; we must recognize the signs of a concussion and check to see if the player is experiencing symptoms of a concussion.
• ‘When in doubt, take the player out.’ It is best practice to remove the player from competition if there are signs and/or symptoms a concussion has occurred.
• Do not let the player return. The player should not return to competition until he or she is evaluated by a medical physician and cleared to play.
• Monitor player recovery. Players who have experienced a concussion should be allowed to return to participate on a gradual basis. Players should continue to be monitored with the goal that the player will eventually return to full participation at an individual pace. Not all concussions are the same.