Atlanta Fire United Soccer Association's Board of Directors is pleased to announce the launch of a new Concussion Awareness & Prevention (CAP) Program for our Club. AFU's CAP program will consist of four main components:
1) Education AFU's education component will provide information to parents, players and coaches on the nature and risk of concussion and head injury, as well as information on concussion recognition.
2) Training New training components will be designed and implemented to teach proper heading techniques and strengthen neck muscles of our athletes to minimize the likelihood of a concussion during their regular course of play.
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3) Baseline Testing All AFU athletes age 12 and up will be given the opportunity and strongly encouraged to take a computerize neurocognitive assessment test that will establish a baseline for each athlete. This ImPACT test is a vital tool for health care professionals to determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to play after suffering a concussion. Baseline testing will be offered to AFU athletes free of charge.
4) Concussion Management Working in partnership with Gwinnett Medical Center's Sports Medicine team, AFU will establish official concussion management and return to play policies for our club. If a youth athlete is participating in an AFU sanctioned activity and exhibits any symptoms of having a concussion, that athlete will be removed immediately from the game, competition, tryout, or practice and be evaluated by a health care provider. If that athlete has sustained a concussion, that athlete will not be allowed to return to play until they receive written clearance from a health care provider.
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Board Chairman Scott Grest explains, "We recognize that concussions are a real health hazard in the game of soccer and AFU is committed to doing everything we can to help keep our young athletes as safe as possible on our watch." AFU President Greg Hoover stresses, "The health and safety of our young athletes is top priority at AFU. We want to be one of the first youth soccer associations in the state to put this type of concussion awareness and prevention program into motion and lead the way in establishing a model that others can follow."
Fellow AFU Board Member, Paige Havens will serve as AFU's CAP Program Coordinator. Havens has a true vision and passion for this initiative as her 15 year old daughter was concussed in a soccer game 16 months ago and is still experiencing complications as a result of her injury. Havens has been a strong advocate and champion for Georgia's new concussion legislation (HB 284) and has helped AFU design a program that will not only meet, but exceed what the new Return to Play Act asks of athletic associations.
Havens shares, "AFU's mission is to improve the landscape for soccer in the Metro Atlanta area through innovative, player-centered programming that creates a better, more enjoyable, and more successful player, coach, and club environment. Our new CAP Program fully embodies what we are committed to provide for our members."
Havens and the AFU Board will work in close partnership with Gwinnett Medical Center's Sports Medicine department to deliver this program to their members. AFU will kick off it's new CAP Program the week of April 22nd with it's first round of baseline testing and education sessions.
Contacts:
Greg Hoover AFU President greg.hoover@atlantaunitedsoccer.com
Paige Havens CAP Program Coordinator paige.havens@atlantaunitedsoccer.com