Over the past several years, there has been an increased awareness and concern about concussions among young athletes. Unfortunately, many adults who interact with student athletes are not aware of or up-to-date on the latest guidelines for management of sports concussion injuries. When athletes return to play before they are fully recovered from a concussion, there is a greater risk of re-injury, prolonged recovery, or even death.

To address this critical issue, the Mountainside Health Foundation is partnering with the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey (BIANJ) to promote safe return to play in youth sports, and to develop concussion education programs. The program will disseminate recommended guidelines for safe return to play to coaches, students and parents; the goal is to help ensure that student-athletes don’t risk permanent damage to the brain following a concussion. This new concussion education program  will be developed by BIANJ, in conjunction with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).