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AS&E Faculty Meeting Report of the Athletics Committee on Concussions April 24, 2019

This report discusses the findings and recommendations of the Athletics Committee regarding concussions in sports at Tufts University. It highlights the efforts to mitigate the risk of concussions, identifies areas of concern, and proposes measures for prevention and oversight. The report also emphasizes the importance of monitoring and adapting practices based on new developments in concussion research and mitigation strategies.

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AS&E Faculty Meeting Report of the Athletics Committee on Concussions April 24, 2019

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  1. AS&E Faculty Meeting Report of the Athletics Committee on Concussions April 24, 2019

  2. Background • In light of all the recent media attention on football-related concussions and possible long-term damage to the brain, several members of the faculty have raised questions about whether Tufts students should be playing football. Over the past two academic years, the Athletics Committee has been studying the issue. • One subcommittee looked at what Tufts, NESCAC, other NESCAC schools and the NCAA were doing to reduce the frequency and severity of concussion injuries. Another subcommittee looked selectively at the scientific literature on concussions. The reports of those subcommittees are part of the report that was distributed for this meeting. 2

  3. Evolution of Practice • The presidents of the schools in the NESCAC Conference have been taking this issue very seriously. In football and a number of other sports, changes in the nature and frequency of practices have reduced the number of concussions, and attention is also being paid to rule changes that reduce the risk. • Approach of the NESCAC Conference and Tufts University, given the relative paucity of information at this time, is risk mitigation rather than getting rid of particular sports. • Tufts’ concussion protocol is in conformity with the practices of both NESCAC and the NCAA. • Coaches are trained about concussions, all athletes receive information and training opportunities regarding concussion injuries, new athletes receive baseline testing. • Trainers are present at practices and matches, and the trainer has absolute authority to remove an injured player and implement the concussion protocol in both practices and games. 3

  4. Findings • The problem of concussions is not solely an issue in football. Concussions occur in many other sports, in some cases impacting a larger percentage of athletes than in football. • The summary statistics from 2014-15 to 2017-18 show • the decline in the number and the incidence in football • the fact that football does not stand out • Numbers from Fall 2018 are in line with last few years. • Largest area of concern is club sports.Statistics for rugby and ultimate frisbee, the two club sports for which consistent data are available, show the reason for this concern. • In general, club sports’ coaches do not receive the same level of training as varsity coaches, and trainers are not present at practices or matches. • The exception is rugby, which has a high incidence of concussions. Because of this, NESCAC adopted guidelines for rugby that require an athletic trainer to be present at all matches and be available/nearby/on call during all practices. 4

  5. Recommendations • At this time, given the data available for our varsity teams and the many benefits that participation in sports brings, the Athletics Committee endorses the university’s approach of risk mitigation rather than eliminating certain sports. • The University should reassess its club sports model to provide more oversight for concussion prevention training, diagnosis, and treatment. • The University should identify specific club sports that present statistically higher risks of concussion (e.g., rugby) and work with those teams to develop enhanced interventions that mimic the current concussion protocol for varsity sports and to develop guidelines for practices and competition that reduce the possibility of concussions. 5

  6. Recommendations (cont.) • The University should identify peer comparators (NESCAC, other Division III schools) that can be used to collect information on: • Concussion exposure by sport (varsity and club) • Models for club sports oversight (coaches, trainers, funding levels, etc.) • Models for tracking concussion data (by school, conference) • Best practices for concussion mitigation • The Athletics Committee should be charged with annually monitoring the prevalence of concussions in athletics and the current status of risk mitigation practices. Where necessary, the committee should recommend changes in practices to account for new developments in equipment, research, and mitigation strategies. 6

  7. Summary Statistics: 2014-15

  8. Summary Statistics: 2015-16

  9. Summary Statistics: 2016-17

  10. Summary Statistics: 2017-18

  11. Concussions Reported in Fall 2018

  12. Concussions in Club Sports Reported to Athletics – 2014-15

  13. Concussions in Club Sports Reported to Athletics – 2015-16

  14. Concussions in Club Sports Reported to Athletics – 2016-17

  15. Concussions in Club Sports Reported to Athletics – 2017-18

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