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Sports Related Concussions and Head Injuries

Education for parents, caregivers, and school staff about how to protect student safety while participating in extracurricular school sports.

Health care professionals may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because usually concussions are not life-threatening. Even so, their effects can be serious. Recognition and proper response to concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury or even death. On this page, we provide information about sports-related head injury regulations, trainings, required forms for schools and clinicians, model policies for schools, and more.

What would you like to do?

Top tasks

Download Returning to School After Concussion: Guidelines for Massachusetts Schools  Download the required forms for schools with extracurricular sports activities 

All other tasks

Download the Quick Reference Guide for Head Injury Prevention and Management in Schools  Complete the Year End Report Form  Complete the Letter of Affirmation 

What you need to know

Head injury and concussion information for schools, school staff, coaches, athletic trainers, and volunteers  Information for parents and students  Information for medical providers  Concussion trainings  Resources and concussion treatment centers  Statewide sports concussion initiative: MA Law and DPH regulations 
See all 7 of Sports Related Concussions and Head Injuries 

Contact Information

Phone

(617) 624-5490

Online

DPH-ConcussionPolicies@mass.gov

More Information

Additional Resources

Sports concussion regulations FAQs
Information for parents on preventing youth alcohol and other drug use
Head Injury Guide (PDF 220.33 KB)
Head Injury Guide (DOCX 21.45 KB)
DATA BRIEF: Sports-Related Concussions among Massachusetts Youth, 2017-2020 (PDF 338.35 KB)
DATA BRIEF: Sports-Related Concussions among Massachusetts Youth, 2017-2020 (DOCX 125.17 KB)
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