I can help prevent concussions through my:
- Efforts to ensure that my athletes wear the proper equipment and wear it correctly.
- Efforts to help my athletes develop their skills and strength so they can participate to the best of their abilities.
- Respect for the rules of my sport or activity and efforts to ensure that my athletes do, too.
- Commitment to fair play and respect for all (respecting other coaches, Club officials and all participants and ensuring my athletes respect others and play fair).
I will care for the health and safety of all participants by taking concussions seriously. I understand that:
- A concussion is a brain injury that can have both short- and long-term effects.
- A blow to the head, face, or neck, or a blow to the body may cause the brain to move around inside the skull and result in a concussion.
- A person doesn’t need to lose consciousness to have had a concussion.
- An athlete with a suspected concussion should stop participating in training, practice or competition immediately.
- I have a commitment to concussion recognition and reporting, including self-reporting of possible concussion and reporting to a designated person when an individual suspects that another individual may have sustained a concussion.
- Continuing to participate in further training, practice, or competition with a suspected concussion increases a person’s risk of more severe, longer lasting symptoms, and increases their risk of other injuries or even death.
I will create an environment where participants feel safe and comfortable speaking up. I will:
- Encourage athletes not to hide their symptoms, but to tell me, the Club Manager, the respective League Convenor, parent, or another adult they trust if they experience any symptoms of concussion after an impact.
- Lead by example. I will tell a fellow coach, Club Manager, or the respective League Convenor and seek medical attention by a physician or nurse practitioner if I am experiencing any concussion symptoms.
- Understand and respect that any athlete with a suspected concussion must be removed from sport and not permitted to return until they undergo a medical assessment by a physician or nurse practitioner and have been medically cleared to return to training, practice, or competition.
- Commit to providing opportunities before and after each training, practice, and competition to enable athletes to discuss potential issues related to concussions.
- I will support all participants to take the time they need to recover.
- I understand my commitment to supporting Curling Canada’s return-to-play protocol.
- I understand the athletes will have to be cleared by a physician or nurse practitioner before returning to sport.
- I will respect my fellow coaches, Club officials, parents, physicians and nurse practitioners and any decisions made with regards to the health and safety of my athletes.
