Stonington Soccer Club (SSC) considers its first priority to be the safety of its players. As part of this, SSC recognizes that a concussion is a serious injury and should not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, concussions can be difficult to diagnose, in part because the symptoms can be subtle and may not show up for hours or even days.

For these reasons, it is key that parents, coaches, and players take time to understand what concussions are and their potential consequences, recognize concussion signs and symptoms, know how to respond, and learn the steps for returning to activity after a concussion. Generally, SSC's philosophy on head injuries is "when in doubt, keep them out."

To learn more, SSC recommends visiting the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) website on concussions in sports.

SSC has adopted the following policy for coaches, families, and players regarding head injuries and concussions:

I. Training
All SSC coaches are required to complete the CDC's "Heads Up Online Training Course." Parents and players are also encouraged to complete the course.


II. Removal from practice or game
Any player, who during a practice or competition, sustains a head injury or suspected concussion, or exhibits signs and symptoms of a concussion, or loses consciousness--even briefly--must be removed from the practice or game immediately and may not return to the practice or competition that day.

III. Communication
The coach will communicate the nature of the injury directly to the parent in person or by phone as soon as reasonably possible after the practice or competition in which a player has been removed from play for a head injury, suspected concussion, signs and symptoms of a concussion or loss of consciousness.

All parents will inform SSC coaches if their child has a head injury prior to the start of the season and/or if their child is diagnosed with a concussion during or outside a SSC activity.

IV. Professional healthcare evaluation and authorization
SSC strongly encourages families to seek the opinion of a healthcare professional prior to the player returning to play in a future game or practice. While each situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis, it is SSC's recommendation that a player not return to action until medical authorization from a healthcare professional is received.