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Is There a Concussion Crisis in Sports?

Two Authorities Discuss What Is Being Done, What Is Working
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Cal State Fullerton’s Athletic Training Program hosts a daylong seminar on “The Concussion ‘Crisis’ in Sports.”

“The seminar will be beneficial to certified athletic trainers, parents, school nurses and school administrators,” says Tricia Kasamatsu, one of the featured speakers for the April 7 program and co-event coordinator with Kavin Tsang, chair and associate professor of kinesiology.

Kasamatsu, is a Cal State Fullerton assistant professor of kinesiology, co-clinical education coordinator for the university’s Athletic Training Program and a member of the Orange County Concussion Consortium.

In her presentation, “Return-to-Learn Strategies in Orange County,” she will discuss adolescent concussion management and a student’s return to school after a sport-related incident. Kasamatsu will share information from a project she conducted with researchers from A.T. Still University in Arizona and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in which they studied school personnel’s knowledge and confidence regarding concussion, familiarity with academic support strategies, and experiences with implementing such plans to aid students during their return to school after concussion.

Also a featured presenter for the program is Erik Swartz, professor of kinesiology at University of New Hampshire whose research focuses on the prevention and care of head and neck injuries in football and other sports activities.

Swartz will discuss the use of helmetless tackling and blocking drills as a means to reduce head and neck injuries in his lecture, “Effectiveness of Prevention Strategies for Decreasing Head-Impact Exposure in Football.” His lecture also will identify and compare concussion incidence with other sports, as well as the role of technology, such as after-market monitoring systems and helmet innovations.

The afternoon program will feature demonstrations on various treatment techniques related to concussion presented by clinical experts from the health care community.

Registration for the 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. program is required and requested by March 23. Fee to attend is $25 for certified athletic trainers; $15 for the general public. All proceeds support the Athletic Training Program. For more information email ktsang@fullerton.edu, or call 657-278-7970.