Roller Derby Concussion Awareness

Concussions in Roller Derby 101

Concussions in Roller Derby
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10 Ideas to Raise Awareness

  1. Read the WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines and make sure your league is familiar with them.
  2. Add this Concussion Recognition Tool to your medical kit and print it for usage in your league. (Knowing when someone should be checked out by the proper medical staff is very important even if you are not comfortable doing an assessment yourself.)
  3. Take the CDC’s HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Training geared toward parents and coaches of youth athletes.
  4. Recruit more Safety Personnel in your league. Not sure what they do? Read the Risk Management Guidelines.
  5. Talk about concussions. We don’t talk enough about the hits, the falls, the aftermath and the (sometimes unclear) long-term effects of brain injuries. And if we do not talk about it, we can’t feel empowered to pull a skater or less pressured to sit out the rest of the game.
  6. Reflect on your own behavior! How do you approach a bad hit or fall?
  7. Did you see something happen that makes you think someone might have gotten a concussion? Encourage your teammates, fellow Officials, or anyone else you can think of to take a break and get checked out. Let the medics know what you saw.
  8. Get familiar with the Return to Play Protocol in the Risk Management Guidelines for yourself and your peers.
  9. Are you participating at a WFTDA Tournament? Read and sign the Concussion Impact Acknowledgment.
  10. Most importantly: Wear a proper fitting and certified helmet and remind others to adjust/renew their helmet. Helmets should fit snugly and cover the frontal lobe—they should not sit back on the cranium itself. The straps should create a “y” right under each earlobe.

You can also share this video directing people here for concussion information:

Remember the 5 Rs

REDUCE – RECOGNIZE & REACT – RETURN – RESOURCES

Reduce (the impact by getting a certified and proper fitting helmet)

Recognize & React (Know what to look for and realize when someone needs attention)

Return (to skating following the Return to Play Protocol in the Risk Management Guidelines)

Resources (Educate yourself and others by reading and sharing all the information found here)

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