NFHS Concussion Awareness & Prevention 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following groups is recognized by NFHS as part of the 'concussion team' responsible for athlete safety?
- Coaches, parents, athletes, and healthcare providers (Correct answer)
- Athletic directors and school board members only
- Referees and game officials only
- Strength and conditioning coaches exclusively
Correct answer: Coaches, parents, athletes, and healthcare providers
NFHS identifies a multi-stakeholder concussion team that includes coaches, parents, athletes, and licensed healthcare providers.
Question 2: What is the significance of baseline concussion testing in high school sports programs?
- It determines which athletes are allowed to play contact sports
- It provides pre-season data for comparison if a concussion is suspected (Correct answer)
- It legally clears athletes from liability after an injury
- It replaces the need for a post-injury physician evaluation
Correct answer: It provides pre-season data for comparison if a concussion is suspected
Baseline testing establishes an athlete's normal cognitive and physical benchmarks so post-injury performance can be meaningfully compared.
Question 3: A football player is hit and immediately loses consciousness for about 10 seconds. Upon regaining consciousness, he insists he feels fine. How should this situation be handled?
- Clear him to return since he is now conscious and alert
- Remove him from play and require medical clearance before return (Correct answer)
- Monitor him on the sideline for 15 minutes then reassess
- Have him perform balance tests; clear him if he passes
Correct answer: Remove him from play and require medical clearance before return
Any loss of consciousness, even brief, is a red-flag concussion symptom requiring immediate removal and medical evaluation before any return to play.
Question 4: Under most state laws aligned with the NFHS concussion framework, written medical clearance to return to play must be provided by:
- The athlete's parent or guardian
- A licensed healthcare professional trained in concussion management (Correct answer)
- The head coach of the sport
- The school's principal
Correct answer: A licensed healthcare professional trained in concussion management
State laws generally require clearance from a licensed healthcare professionalâsuch as a physician, neurologist, or certified athletic trainerâbefore an athlete returns to play.
Question 5: Which statement about female athletes and concussion risk is most accurate according to current sports medicine research?
- Female athletes have identical concussion risk and recovery times as males
- Female athletes may report higher concussion rates and longer recovery in comparable sports (Correct answer)
- Male athletes consistently suffer more severe concussions than females
- Gender has no documented effect on concussion incidence
Correct answer: Female athletes may report higher concussion rates and longer recovery in comparable sports
Research indicates female athletes in comparable contact sports often report higher concussion rates and may experience longer recovery periods than male athletes.
Question 6: An athlete reports a headache that worsens when she tries to study for exams after a concussion. This symptom is best categorized as:
- Emotional/mood symptom
- Sleep disturbance symptom
- Cognitive/somatic symptom overlap (Correct answer)
- Vestibular symptom
Correct answer: Cognitive/somatic symptom overlap
Worsening headache with cognitive exertion like studying reflects both somatic (headache) and cognitive (mental effort) symptom overlap common in concussion.
Question 7: Which practice is recommended to help prevent concussions during athletic training?
- Eliminating all physical contact drills from practice
- Teaching and enforcing proper technique such as heads-up tackling (Correct answer)
- Requiring athletes to wear neck braces during all practices
- Limiting practice time to 30 minutes per day
Correct answer: Teaching and enforcing proper technique such as heads-up tackling
Proper technique instructionâsuch as heads-up tackling in footballâreduces dangerous head-first contact and is a primary concussion prevention strategy.
NFHS Concussion Awareness & Prevention 3
Which of the following groups is recognized by NFHS as part of the 'concussion team' responsible for athlete safety?