A new concussion law in California was enacted on January 1st, 2017. It is an amendment of a previous law that covered high school athletes that now covers all athletes under the age of 18. Its’ purpose is to provide specific safety protocols in order to protect athletes from injury.

Currently, in California, an athlete suspected of having a concussion, must be removed from play for the rest of the day or until evaluated by a licensed health care provider. The athlete may not return to athletic activity until they receive written clearance by a licensed health care provider. If an athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, he or she must go through a graduated return to play protocol of no less than seven days under the supervision of a licensed health care provider. This is not a new to many Athletic Trainers and Physicians but may seem new to the general public. The gradual return is a step by step process to ensure a safe return and starts with light aerobic exercise progressing through sport-specific exercises under the guidance of qualified personnel.

The new law aims at making sports safer by using education and preparation in regards to the signs and symptoms of concussion as well as proper management and return to play protocols. The law provides that educational material must be provided to all athletes, coaches, and parents on a yearly basis.

Players and Parents/Guardians

It is the policy of Davis Legacy Soccer Club that every player and their parent/guardian print out, read, and then electronically sign the Concussion and Head Injury Information Sheet every calendar year.  Your electronic signature will occur as part of your GotSoccer registration process.  

The club policy, which you are electronically signing as part of your registration, and a second detailed information sheet from the American Academy of Neurology, are available for download below:

Davis Legacy – Concussion and Head Injury Information Sheet

American Academy of Neurology Information Sheet

Coaches and Directors of Coaching

It is the policy of Davis Legacy Soccer Club that each coach and director on an annual basis take the Center for Disease Control “HEADS UP Concussion in Youth Sports” online training.   Upon completion of the online training, please upload and submit your certificate of completion to the Davis Legacy Soccer Club.

You can access the online training here:

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/training/index.html

Submit your certificate here