Contact:  John Johnson or Andy Frushour 
517.332.5046 or [email protected]
 

EAST LANSING, Mich.  – Oct. 10 –  The latest step by the Michigan High School Athletic Association to help raise awareness about concussions in youth sports is a video promotional announcement which has begun airing on MHSAA Network programming and is also available for viewing on the Association’s YouTube channel.

The 30-second spot, based on the popular misconception of an athlete “just getting their bell rung” is also available for download in broadcast format from the Public Service Announcements page of the MHSAA Website.  The MHSAA will also make the video available to media outlets in a tape file of their choice.

Earlier this school year, an audio message and PSA script based on the same theme was made available, which can also be downloaded from the Public Service Announcements page of the MHSAA Website.  Schools and tournament sites are also being provided with announcements which can be read during athletic events.

As required online rules meetings for the upcoming Winter sports season begin this month, coaches and officials will take part in a 12-minute segment specifically about concussions, describing the signs and symptoms, and also explaining the applicable MHSAA protocols when a young person is thought to have a sustained a concussion during competition and their ultimate return to play.  In the Fall, nearly 7,000 coaches and officials viewed this concussion information online; and over 6,000 will watch Winter meetings.  The concussion portion of the rules meeting is also available when they are posted online for public viewing to the respective sports pages of the MHSAA Website.

The MHSAA is also involved in ongoing concussion awareness efforts with the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, and offers different resources on the Health & Safety Resources page of its website from the Centers for Disease Control, the National Federation of State High School Associations and the University of Michigan Health System’s Neuro Sport division. 

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition.  No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools.  Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

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NOTE – Here is a direct link to the Concussion Awareness promotional message on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/MHSAASPORTS#p/u/8/7zr6aGamt2A.