O.H. Platt Athletics Home of the Panthers

Injuries / Insurance Information

An injury report will be filled out for injuries that are deemed significant, requires a doctor and concussions. Tyler Konopka, athletic trainer, will fill out his section, then Sharon McCullough, the school nurse, will call your son/daughter down to her office to complete her part.

The Meriden School District has an insurance policy that covers all student-athletes. This policy will serve as a secondary insurance and does not require any action by the parent/guardian for enrollment. However, the parent/guardian must request the insurance form from the school to open a claim. For reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses this claim must be opened within 90 days of injury date.

Doctor Visits

Some injuries may require evaluation by either a PCP or specialist. IMPORTANT: When a student-athlete is evaluated by a physician the student-athlete is not allowed to return to sport in any capacity without written clearance from the physician. A parent/guardian can take their son or daughter to any healthcare provider they choose, but please notify Tyler as soon as possible. Although visits to the emergency room are necessary, in most cases it is not the best option for athletic injuries. Tyler has valuable relationships within the Sports Medicine Team and can typically get athletes seen within 24 hours, sometimes the same day.

Concussions

Over the past decade the top experts in sport-related concussions both nationally and locally have redefined what a concussion is, researched short and long-term effects, and designed Return-To-Play (RTP) protocols. Locally, legislation was passed in 2014 requiring concussion education of coaches, athletes and parents among other key initiatives. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletics Association’s (CIAC) Concussion Central has more in-depth information that you may find useful.

At Platt our entire athletics staff is well trained on the prevention, recognition, treatment and RTP protocols to ensure the safety of our student-athletes. Any time a concussion is suspected a member of the athletics staff will notify a parent/guardian in the most expedient manner. Please note signs and symptoms of a concussion may be delayed. Sometimes an athlete may go home not realizing they have been concussed and/or do not exhibit signs/symptoms until hours later. If you suspect delayed symptoms contact your pediatrician and notify an athletic staff member.

ImPact

(adapted from ImPact’s website)

What does ImPACT mean?
ImPACT® stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing.

What is ImPACT?
ImPACT is an objective tool to support trained healthcare providers in making sound return to activity decisions following concussions. It’s a computerized test that measures memory, attention span, visual and verbal problem solving. ImPACT has two primary uses: before the onset of an activity, a baseline test is conducted to measure the athlete’s performance baseline. In the event of an injury, a post-injury test is administered and compared to the baseline and/or normative data scores.

Our Athletics Department has been utilizing ImPact for over 10 years. At Platt our goal is to baseline all contact sports every 2 years – typically freshman and junior year. As an Athletic Trainer it is a valuable objective tool that assists in the safest return-to-play for your sons and daughters.

Emergency Action Plan

Our Emergency Action Plan (EAP) was created with the help of the Meriden Fire Dept, Hunter’s Ambulance, the NATA, and many local universities. Platt’s comprehensive EAP ensures the safety of our entire Panthers family at any of our venues. The importance of an EAP cannot be understated as it provides directives on the most expeditious handling of an emergency situation.

Goals of the Emergency Action Plan:

  • Training and education for coaching staff
  • Location of emergency equipment and AEDs
  • Lightning safety protocols
  • Care of catastrophic injury
  • Proper communication at all venues

NEVER HESITATE TO CALL TYLER WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

  • If Tyler was not aware of an injury
  • If an injury is getting worse
  • If you need clarity on home instructions
  • If you need advisement on proper specialist to see

Tyler Konopka
Phone: 203-235-7962