Concussion & Injury Protocol

Any athlete showing signs or symptoms of a concussion will be removed from participation immediately and will not return until medically cleared.

When in doubt, we choose caution. No session, no drill and no match is worth an athlete’s brain.

What a concussion is

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a direct blow to the head, face or neck, or by a blow to the body that transmits force to the head. It can occur without loss of consciousness, and it will not show up on a standard X-ray.

In volleyball, concussions most often result from contact with the ball, collisions between players, or falls to the floor during defensive movement or blocking.

Signs and symptoms

Anyone at a session — coach, parent, teammate or the athlete themselves — should raise a concern if they observe:

Physical: headache, pressure in the head, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, blurred or double vision, sensitivity to light or noise, balance problems, fatigue.

Cognitive: confusion, feeling “in a fog”, difficulty concentrating or remembering, slowed responses, not knowing the score, opponent or venue.

Emotional: irritability, sadness, nervousness, or being “more emotional” than usual.

Observed by others: lying motionless, slow to get up, unsteady on their feet, blank or vacant look, grabbing or clutching the head, seizure or convulsion.

Symptoms may appear immediately or may develop over the hours and days that follow.

Immediate response — removal from sport

If a concussion is suspected:

1. Stop play immediately and remove the athlete from the activity.
2. Do not leave them alone. An adult stays with them and monitors for worsening symptoms.
3. Do not return them to the session that day — under any circumstances, and regardless of how quickly they say they feel fine.
4. Contact the parent or guardian and hand over in person where possible.
5. Advise medical assessment by a physician or nurse practitioner.
6. Record what happened, what was observed and what action was taken.

Call emergency services immediately if

• the athlete loses consciousness, even briefly;
• there is a seizure or convulsion;
• there is neck or spine pain, or tingling or weakness in the limbs;
• there is repeated vomiting, worsening headache, or increasing confusion;
• the athlete cannot be woken, or their condition deteriorates.

Do not move an athlete with a suspected neck or spinal injury unless there is immediate danger.

Return to sport

An athlete removed for a suspected concussion may not return to training or play until they provide written medical clearance from a physician or nurse practitioner.

Following clearance, return is gradual and stepwise. Each stage must be completed without the return of symptoms before moving to the next, and any return of symptoms means stepping back to the previous stage:

1. Symptom-limited daily activity — school and normal routine.
2. Light aerobic exercise — walking or stationary cycling, no resistance training.
3. Sport-specific movement — individual footwork and movement drills, no contact and no heading risk.
4. Non-contact training — full drills, ball control and technical work, resistance training.
5. Full practice — normal training activity.
6. Return to competition.

Coaches, the athlete and the family work through this together. We will never rush an athlete through these stages, and we will not accept pressure to do so.

Other injuries

For injuries other than suspected concussion:

• the athlete is removed from the activity and assessed;
• basic first aid is administered where appropriate;
• the parent or guardian is contacted;
• emergency services are called where the injury may be serious;
• the incident is recorded.

Where an injury has kept an athlete out of participation, we may require medical clearance before they return. Athletes returning from injury may be given a modified role while they rebuild confidence and load.

Our commitments

• We treat every suspected concussion as a concussion until a medical professional says otherwise.
• We never make return-to-play decisions based on the importance of a session or match.
• We will not permit an athlete to talk us out of a removal decision.
• We maintain awareness of recognised concussion guidelines and the requirements of our governing bodies.
• We keep incident records confidentially.

What we ask of families

• Tell us about any concussion history, including those sustained outside volleyball.
• Tell us if symptoms appear or worsen after an athlete has gone home.
• Support the stepwise return process even when your athlete feels ready sooner.

Questions

Questions about this protocol, or about a specific incident, can be sent to coaches@primepotentialvolleyball.ca.