FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact:  Natalie Iwamoto
September 12, 2012	iwamoto@hhsaa.org

HHSAA requires concussion education for all state tournament coaches

HONOLULU – In an August 13, 2012 meeting, the HHSAA board approved a provision that all coaches – head coaches, assistants and volunteers – participating in any HHSAA state championship event complete the NFHS online concussion education course. 

“It is the responsibility of our coaches and administrators to not only prepare our student athletes for victory, but to provide a safe environment as well,” said HHSAA Executive Director Chris Chun.

The free 30-minute course titled Concussion In Sports – What You Need to Know is available on the NFHS learning center website, nfhslearn.com, and is a collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) providing information on concussion recognition and management.  If a coach fails to complete the course, he/she will not be allowed on the sideline during the event until the course has been successfully completed.

“I am very pleased that our Board recognized the severity of concussions in athletics and included this course as part of the coaching certification process in Hawaii,” said Chun.  “The NFHS’s concussion course provides a strong foundation that will prepare our coaches to deal with concussions in collaboration with our athletic trainers and other health care professionals.”

The HHSAA launched a concussion awareness and education campaign in August with a 30-second PSA aired on OC16 as well as a concussion resource page on SportsHigh.com.