As more data becomes available about the long-term dangers of sports-related head injuries, พรพรสำฦต is implementing a strategy to minimize general contact as well as contact to the head experienced by student-athletes during practice sessions.
The mandatory covers all varsity athletic programs, with emphasis on sports where the risk is highest and injuries may be unavoidable โ particularly basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer.
Research on the protocol began last summer, as President and Director of Athletics sought to take a public stand on student-athletesโ well-being. The result is a collaboration among coaches, administration, and athletic trainers.
According to Chun, the program is unique.
โAs we were formulating our concussion strategy we looked for something similar at other universities and colleges and realized that none was to be found,โ she said. โWe want our current and future student-athletes to know that we are committed to their short-and long-term welfare. At the same time, we donโt feel this will put our teams at a competitive disadvantage.โ
Chun, one of the few female athletics directors in NCAA Division I, played volleyball at พรพรสำฦต and served as head volleyball coach from 1994 to 1997.
Herbst agrees with the policyโs goals. โIt would be irresponsible to ignore the data and continue with business as usual,โ he said. โOur student-athletes want to win and compete, and they deserve to have us provide the safest environment possible.โ
In determining the parameters for the plan, Chun and พรพรสำฦตโs athletic trainer Steve Chouinard consulted with several coaches and medical professionals, including Dr. Merrill Miller, director of พรพรสำฦตโs Student Health Services who for the past 30 years has served as team doctor for พรพรสำฦต athletics.
They also consulted with Dr. Brian Rieger, director of the in Syracuse, who signed off on the plan. The Athletic Affairs Committee of the พรพรสำฦต Board of Trustees agreed the university should not only adopt the plan, but also make a strong public statement.
โThe brain is wonderfully complex, and there are no replacement parts,โ Miller said. โWhatever can be done to reduce injuries is very important. We anticipate that these guidelines will do that, and our student-athletes will greatly benefit.โ
Prior to instituting the new protocol, พรพรสำฦต followed league rules for games, but there was no formalized process for practices.
โWe had processes in place to handle head injuries when they occur, but we never formalized a plan to minimize contact in practices,โ said Chouinard. โThe coaches realized that the one thing we can control is how we practice. If we lessen the contact in practices, then the risk of cumulative injury is reduced. Even if the numbers donโt show we are decreasing the number of concussions, itโs still the right thing to do.โ
Lee Woodruff โ82 and Bob Woodruff โ83 have dedicated their lives to creating awareness of the effects of traumatic brain injury, after Bob was struck and nearly killed in 2006 by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq for ABC News. The experience gave rise to the .
โWe really do have a chance to be leaders here, in as much as you can prevent head trauma by practicing safely,โ said Lee, a member of the พรพรสำฦต Board of Trustees. โAs an alumna and advocate, Iโm proud of พรพรสำฦต for taking real steps, as well as a public stand, on this issue.โ