Spring 2017
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
My
name is Nathan Wilmes. I am the Director
of Outreach Athletic Training Services for Excel Sports and Physical Therapy. We
provide the athletic trainers for the Francis Howell School District. I am contacting you today about ImPACT, a
computer-based, neurocognitive examination used in the assessment and care of
concussions/brain injuries.
During
athletic competition, your child could experience a concussion. A concussion is
a brain injury that if not managed carefully, could lead to permanent disability,
a life-altering injury or even death. During the 2016-2017 school year, the
Francis Howell School District will continue the ImPACT brain injury testing
program with the assistance of Excel Sports and Physical Therapy. The ImPACT assessment is being used in the National
Football League, NCAA Division I, and numerous high school programs around the
country to manage brain injuries/concussions before and after they occur. ImPACT
testing is not the only tool that will be used to assess your child’s safe
return to play status, but it is the sporting industry gold standard. The Missouri State High School Activities
Association (www.mshsaa.org) has placed a great deal of emphasis on educating
coaches, athletes and parents on the severity of brain injuries over the past
several years. ImPACT testing supports
MSHSAA’s commitment to this issue. More
information can be obtained from the following website: www.impacttest.com.
The
key to the success of the program is testing athletes before they receive a brain injury. This pre-injury testing is
vital to prevent the student participant from returning to play too soon and
risking the chance of a second brain injury called Second Impact Syndrome.
All
students participating in football, softball/baseball, boys/girls volleyball, girls
lacrosse, boys/girls soccer, boys/girls basketball, wrestling, baseball, color
guard/winter guard, cheerleading, and all athletes planning on competing in
Pole Vault and High Jump only in Track and Field will need to be assessed as
mandated by the Francis Howell School District Activities Handbook. All
incoming freshmen and returning juniors in the activities mentioned above must
be pre-assessed before being allowed to practice. Attached to this letter, I
have provided a Parent/Guardian Consent form that must be completed prior to
your child being pre-tested. Please sign and return this consent form to the
Activities Office. The coaching staff and the school’s athletic trainer will
work together to pre-test athletes. Thank you for your cooperation, and if you
have any questions about these dates, please feel free to contact the school’s
activity office, or your school’s athletic trainer.
Sincerely,
Nathan J. Wilmes, M.Ed., ATC,
EMT-B , CSCS
Excel Sports and Physical
Therapy