Information for Coaching Staff
*Dr. Veltri and Matthew Sobolewski, PA-C will be the physicians that we will refer orthopedic and head injuries too unless otherwise specified by the athletes legal guardian. Any other sickness or malaise the athlete will be referred to their pediatrician or one of the school doctors.
Depending on the injury the athlete will remain in the AT’s care or be referred to the physician. Any non-traumatic orthopedic injury will be treated by the AT for 3-5 days. If no improvement is seen within that time period the athlete will be referred to the physician for further examination. At this time parents will also be contacted.
The medical team consists of the Physician, Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer.
What you need to know about the Athletic Training Room
The athletic training room (ATRM) will be opened from 2pm to 6pm, dependant upon game coverage, or individual appointments. The hours will be posted on the door of the ATRM and inside the ATRM. I will also have posted where I will be and can be reached via the cell phone or email.
Athletes will be seen in order of importance and this is done on a first come first serve basis. The order is as follows: away teams, home teams, practices and athlete evaluations.
ATRM Rules: No foul language will be tolerated
Appropriate attire, practice gear or shorts and short sleeve shirts
No cleats, spikes or shoes on the table or in ATRM
Evaluations are done for all injuries before tapping or treatment
ATRM is not an excuse to be late for practice
Med kits: Each team will be supplied with a fully stocked medical kit. These kits as well as any other supplies (water and ice) will be assigned to you with a number and will be yours during the season. They will be inventoried at the end of every season so they need to be returned to me at the conclusion of your season.
When your med kit needs restocking just drop it off at the ATRM 24 hours before you need it. I will not have time to restock your kit a few minutes before you leave so please give at least a days notice so I can have your supplies ready for you.
FYI:Please encourage your athletes to be proactive about their injuries. It’s easier for the AT to treat an injury with a weeks notice with more success than right before a game or competition.
Athletic Trainer Communication with Coaches
The Athletic Trainer (AT) will always try to be in direct communication with coaches at all times. I will send you a note or stop to speak with you in regards to your athlete depending upon my schedule. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns about your particular athlete.
Clearance to Play
If the athlete is injured and is referred to a physician that athlete needs physician clearance in order to return to competition. This clearance can not be verbal or written by the athlete or the athlete’s legal guardian. The only documentation that is acceptable is a written note from the treating physician that is turned in to the AT. This documentation will give the AT specific guidelines in which to follow in order return the athlete to play. The AT will then develop a gradual return to play guideline, dependant upon the injury with a return to full competition per the AT.
THE ATHLETE WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE TREATING PHYSICIAN WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY OR COMPETE UNTIL THAT DOCUMENTION IS RECEIVED, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Impact Testing
“This program will assist our team physicians/athletic trainers in evaluating and treating head injuries (e.g., concussion). In order to better manage concussions sustained by our student-athletes, we have acquired a software tool called ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing). ImPACT is a computerized exam utilized in many professional, collegiate, and high school sports programs across the country to successfully diagnose and manage concussions. If an athlete is believed to have suffered a head injury during competition, ImPACT is used to help determine the severity of head injury and when the injury has fully healed. The computerized exam is given to the athletes before beginning contact sport practice or competition. If a concussion is suspected, the athlete will be required to re-take the test.Both the preseason and post-injury test data is given Dr. Daniel Veltri to help evaluate the injury. ImPact gives us the best available information for managing concussions and preventing potential brain damage that can occur with multiple concussions” -UPMC-
This test is a requirement for all athletes participating in collision and contact sports. The test will be given in order of the severity of the sport (ie, football, soccer……cross country). Each athlete will only be required to take the baseline test once in their four years here at TollandHigh School. Each athlete will be required to give a baseline test before their first competition.
The ImPact test will be given by the AT by team appointment. The test will be given in the library and 20 students can be tested at one given time.
If an athlete sustains a concussion they will not be returned to sports until their post concussive test results are the same as their baseline scores. The test will be given 24-48 hours after the initial injury and will be retested (if need be) one week following the first retest. The retesting will continue in that fashion until the athlete’s results have returned to baseline. The athlete will need to be cleared by Dr. Veltri per the results of the test and needs to be symptom free at rest or with exertional testing per the AT. Once these two things have occurred the athlete will make a gradual return to play based on the MD and AT guidelines. These guidelines will be slightly varied for every sport.
Emergency Action Plan
All coaches should be familiar with the Emergency Action Plan that is specific to their venue or area of coverage. All coaches should be able to implement the Emergency Action Plan specific to their venue, know their role within the Emergency Action Plan and be able to help direct assistant coaches and or new coaches in their responsibilities. All coaches should have the Emergency Action Plan accessible at all times for review. The Emergency Action Plan can be found on TollandHigh School’s Athletic webpage underneath the subheading “Athletic Trainer.” During an emergency there is no time to review our responsibilities we need to be able to act as a unit quickly and professionally to provide appropriate care and triage.