Health & Safety

Scroll down this page or click photo for resources pertaining to the MHSAA's major health and safety initiatives and more. Refer to this site frequently for the most recent information.

HEALTH HISTORY MHSAA Physical Exam Resources

HEADS Concussion & Mental Health Resources

HEAT Heat, Hydration Resources

HEARTS Cardiovascular Resources

The most frequently requested and downloaded form is the Student-Athlete Physical Exam / Medical History Form. Schools may download any applicable forms below. 

The MHSAA Health Questionnaire will not be in use in 2021-22.  An MHSAA pre-participation sports physical is again required for all students who participate in sports in 2021-22. A valid 2021-22 physical examination (BELOW) must be completed on or after April 15, 2021.  Please inform students as early as 5^th grade of this requirement and date.   

Sports Physicals: For the 2021-22 school year, an MHSAA pre-participation sports physical (below)  is required for all students who participate in sports. A physical examination must be completed on or after April 15, 2021, to be considered a valid physical for 2021-22. The MHSAA Health Questionnaire will not be in use for next school year. Please be sure to inform all parents and students – especially those who will begin middle school next fall – of the April 15 date. The MHSAA two-page physical form has not changed and remains on MHSAA.com. MHSAA physical cards can be ordered by schools as needed.

• Physical Card/Medical History Form | PDF (Spanish | Arabic)
  (2 pages) Order this Card from MHSAA
• Physical Exam/Medical History Form | PDF (Spanish | Arabic)
  (4 pages)

"Any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, or balance problems) shall be immediately removed from the contest and shall not return to play until cleared by an appropriate health care professional."

Note: Scroll Down for Mental Health Section

CONCUSSIONS

Concussion Insurance Benefits Information and Forms

• Current Return to Activity & Post-Concussion Consent Form | Spanish
• Today Show: Michigan "be nice" Mental Health Feature Aug. 2021
• Summary Report: 2020-21 MHSAA Head Injury Reporting
• Summary Report: 2019-20 MHSAA Head Injury Reporting
• Summary Report: 2018-19 MHSAA Head Injury Reporting
• Summary Report: 2017-18 MHSAA Head Injury Reporting
• Summary Report: 2016-17 MHSAA Head Injury Reporting
• Summary Report: 2015-16 MHSAA Head Injury Reporting
• Concussion Protocol
• CTE Heads Up Q & A
• Concussion and the Modern Athlete - Michigan Emmy-Winning Video
• Concussion Education Materials/Acknowledgement Form
• NFHS Parents Guide to Sports Concussions
• NFHS Suggested Guidelines for Concussion Management
• NFHS Statement on Soft Headgear in Non-Helmeted Sports
• Michigan Concussion Laws and Relationship to MHSAA Sports
• Michigan Dept of Health & Human Services Concussion Page
• Concussion Checklist: Michigan Health & Human Services
• NFHS Rules Changes Concerning Risk
• ImPact Concussion Management Website
• Axon Sports Concussion Resource Website
• Sadler Sports Concussion Awareness Program
• NCAA/CDC Concussion Fact Sheet

Online Concussion Courses

• NFHS "Concussion for Students"
• NFHS "Concussion in Sports Course" -- Info | Online Course
• Concussion Management Resources from the CDC | Free Online Training Course

Concussion Video Resources

• VIDEO - See What You Hit - From Spine In Sports Foundation
• VIDEO - Keeping Quiet Can Keep You Out of the Game
• VIDEO - Keeping Quiet Can Keep You Out of the Game - A Mother's Story

MENTAL HEALTH

• MHSAA Mental Health Speakers Bureau
• be nice- Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan
• University of Michigan Depression Center 

• MHSAA Model Policy for Heat and Humidity
• Printable Heat Index Calculation Card
• NFHS Heat Acclimatization Statement
• NATA Heat Guidelines
• Reducing Dangers of Heat Illness
• Heat Index FAQ/MHSAA Discounts on Psychrometers
• Heat Ways - MHSAA Advisory For Hot Weather Athletic Activity
• FAQ: Dehydraton
• Hydration and Heat Illness

• CPR in Schools - Public Act 388 of 2016
• CPR FAQs for Head Coach Requirement
• How to Use an AED
• NFHS Course - Sudden Cardiac Arrest
• MI HEARTSafe Q & A | Application
• MI HEARTSafe School Resource Page
• Cardiac Emergency Response Plan
• AED Program Questionnaire for Schools
• AED Fast Fact Sheet
• AED Awareness and Action Posters: For use in School Buildings and Athletic Facilities
• Sudden Cardiac Death of the Young: Resource page from the Michigan Genetics Resource Center
• Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening Guide from Sparrow
• AED and School Athletics
• "We Thought We'd lost Her" How AED saved a life in Georgia
• How Heart Screening May Have Saved Wrestler's Life - Detroit Free Press
   

Suggested Post-COVID Gradual Return-to-Play Progression

• Recommendations for Return-to-Play After a COVID Diagnosis (Written Detail)
• Recommendations for Return-to-Play After a COVID Diagnosis (Algorithm)
• Suggested Gradual Return-to-Play Progression After a COVID Diagnosis (Resource For PCPs)
• Suggested Gradual Return-to-Play Progression After a COVID Diagnosis (Handout For Parents)

• 2020-21 Multi-Sport Participation Survey
• 2018-19 Multi-Sport Participation Survey
• 2017-18 Multi-Sport Participation Survey
• Family Functioning in the Specialization Environment - Fall 2021
• John Smoltz on Multi-Sport Participation during "Move the Sticks" Podcast - Spring 2020
• MHSAA Multi-Sport Video - March 2018
• Inherent Risk of Sports Specialization - Bob Gardner, NFHS, 2018
• 29 of 32 NFL 1st-Round Picks were HS Multi-Sport Athletes - USA Today 2018
• Recognizing Our Best - Feb. 2018
• Recognizing Our Best - Jan. 2018
• Coaching Our Coaches - 2017
• What Drives Winning: Online Resource for Coaches and Character Development
• Project Play Parent Checklist
• MHSAA Multi-Sport Brochure
• Specialization vs Multiple Sports - from Muskegon Mona Shores 2018
• Our View: "From the Director" Blogs on Specialization
• Feeding and Fertilizing School Athletics
• Project Play: Reimaging Youth Sports in America
• Multi-Sport Participation Can Prevent Burnout (Cronkite News, 12/22/15)
• The Stephen Curry Approach to Youth Sports (The Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16)
• 5 Reasons You Want Your Kid to be a Multi-Sport Athlete (ESPN, Oct. 19, 2016)
• Meet the Group (Video - multi-sport tool)
• Sports Parent Do's and Dont's
• Myths of Youth Talent Development
• Study Indicates Higher Injury Rate for Specialized Athletes  (NFHS 2016)

• Public Acts - Current Handbook List of Public Acts
• NFHS List of Banned Substances 2019-20
• MHSAA Model Policy for Heat and Humidity
• MHSAA Tobacco and Alcohol Policy
       *Alcohol Addiction Center
  • Teen Smoking | Vaping Resources
• MHSAA Game Suspension/Tornado Policy
• MHSAA Football Practice Policy
• MHSAA Catastrophic Accident & Concussion Medical Insurance

UDIM Eating For Peak Performance Series

• The Basics
• Fluid Facts
• Fuel For Training and Competition
• Promoting A Healthy Weight
• A Day In Your Life

More Nutrition Resources

• Teen Smoking | Vaping Resources
• NFHS Course - A Guide to Sports Nutrition
  
• NEDA Toolkit for Trainers and Coaches
• The Female Athlete Triad
• Ergogenic Aids and Supplements 
• Pregame Preparation - Don't Forget Nutrition

• NWCA Skin Infection Webinar
• General Sports Hygiene Guidelines
• Preventing MRSA Infections
• MRSA Poster - Football
• MRSA Poster - Soccer
• MRSA Poster - Wrestling
• NFHS Statement on MRSA in Sports Participation

• OK2SAY: MHSAA Encourages Schools to Join Student Safety Initiative
• NFHS "Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment" -- Info | Online Course
• NFHS "Social Media"
• NFHS "Social Media for Students"

• 2020-21: Covid, Mental Health, Concussion
• 2019-20: Concussion
• 2019-20: Mental Health
• 2018-19: Overuse Injuries, Multi-Sport Performance, Concussion, Hydration
• 2018-19: Concussion

• Sports Medicine Advisory Committee - April2022
• Sports Medicine Advisory Committee - Oct. 2021
• Sports Medicine Advisory Committee - May 2021
• Sports Medicine Advisory Committee - Oct. 2020
• Sports Medicine Advisory Committee - May 2020
• Sports Medicine Advisory Committee - Oct. 2019

 Sport specialization is a threat to young persons' essential health and safety that presents as great a risk as head trauma, heat illness and heart failure. The antidote is balanced, multi-sport participation. The answer is school-sponsored sports. Resources and data promoting multi-sport participation.