The West Hartford Youth Lacrosse League (WHYLL) is very serious about protecting our players from all injuries, but in particular, we are aware of the very serious dangers of concussions.
A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or even a blow to another part of the body with the force transmitted to the head.. Even a “ding,” “getting your bell rung,” or what seems to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious. Concussions range from mild to severe and no loss of consciousness is required to sustain a concussion. You cannot see a concussion. The signs and symptoms of a concussion may show up right after the injury, or may take several hours or even days, to fully appear. For this reason, the cooperation and understanding of the player’s parents and/or guardians is critical.
USLacrosse, the national governing body for youth lacrosse in the country, is leading the way to ensuring concussion awareness and prevention in youth lacrosse. In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who partnered with numerous leading experts in the medical and sports field, the CDC has compiled concussion related resources to assist youth sports programs, parents and players.
WHYLL recommends that ALL parents/guardians familiarize themselves, as well as their sons who are participating this year, with this information which can be found on the CDC website, links for which can be found below.
Recognizing the signs of a concussion and the proper treatment of a concussion requires the cooperation of the parents, the player, the family’s medical provider and the coach to ensure that the best information and decisions are made for that player’s safety. The Connecticut Valley Youth Lacrosse League (league WHYLL is part of) and the National Federation of High School Sports (governing body for rules for the sport of lacrosse) policy for any player that is believed to have sustained a concussion no matter how severe is for the official or coach to remove that player from participation and seek medical attention. Any player who is believed to have sustained a concussion will not return to the field for practice or a game without an email from the parent stating that a medical professional has given authorization to participate in youth sports, and in particular lacrosse. “When in doubt, leave the player OUT !”