[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6230821,"mediaKeyId","3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417","parentId",3441919,"title","Trainer, school doctor described concussion testing, clearance and mandatory return‑to‑play steps","audioSeconds",132,"startMs",2122000,"endMs",2254000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417&start=2122&end=2254","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417/thumbnail_2122000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6230821/New-Jersey/Trainer-school-doctor-described-concussion-testing-clearance-and-mandatory-returntoplay-steps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230821-f034c8b3b32605f9dabf49fa961b6e44/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032276&Signature=D3SpoLsbd7w3gMl0HY5r7tqk12XkRCEgJk6M0GK2-fq8AsxbZWxSxpSvpw8mX7k4HNOGHarRtMlNy0NE2NJBY0eyXUEhe4uy7hWBjwIkM~GiiaA1YO1f1TZxyP86mVGCMVCiHm1jJvSRF4hGgslZOi2E3LNJuTMpg1qm9Kn2JzuVYTVdmgdeO6fgbu7DPjtE4INHCIkm08GxZ9YLrexMNVA5Axl6j9IFl4ZPa6nrSn25430m7qSrYOdT-EjSeubUC9XNMHRH0Tj2Hee2VTithuV~sDPrq0NbJovRWa~J2h~AZFaNWUsi44DzC9ZnMbHqG94YE244APBUs6c1QLRCYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-22T08:08:05.847Z","article","Hawthorne High School’s athletic trainer, identified in the meeting as Miss W, described the school’s concussion procedures, baseline testing and medical‑clearance requirements for student athletes.

The details matter for student safety: following the described testing and stepwise return‑to‑play protocol determines when an athlete may resume full participation after a suspected concussion.

Miss W said all athletes take a baseline concussion test annually using a Sway app and that any athlete suspected of having a concussion will be removed from play. She said an athlete who is removed “will need to go see a doctor” and that the doctor must be a specialist in concussions — specifically an orthopedic specialist or a neurologist. Miss W recommended the school doctor as a resource; earlier in the presentation Art Mazaca introduced Dr. Tom O'Leary (a concussion specialist associated with Columbia University) as the school’s consulting physician and a resource for clearance.

Miss W described a mandatory six‑step return‑to‑play protocol that must be completed with at least 24 hours between each of the six steps and completed under the trainer’s supervision before full athletic participation resumes. She said notes from an emergency department are not acceptable alone for clearance; she requires documentation from the orthopedic specialist or neurologist who provides final medical clearance. Miss W explained that when a specialist clears an athlete, she coordinates with the doctor and the family to complete the return‑to‑play steps.

In addition to concussion procedures, Miss W said that for any injury that requires medical attention (urgent care, ER, physician), the athletic office needs a note from the treating physician that the student is cleared to return to play; she reiterated that an ER note alone is usually not sufficient and that specialist follow‑up notes are required for clearance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hawthorne Athletics Parent Info Night","oneSentenceSummary","The school trainer explained baseline concussion testing and a mandatory six‑step return‑to‑play protocol; she said suspected concussions require removal from play and clearance by a specialist (orthopedic or neurologist) before athletes resume participation.","taxTitle","Hawthorne Public School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",48429,"location","New Jersey","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6230826,"Trainer: new electronic registration and annual physical deadlines explained for Hawthorne athletes",664,1559000,2223000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417&start=1559&end=2223","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417/thumbnail_1559000.jpg","/articles/6230826/New-Jersey/Trainer-new-electronic-registration-and-annual-physical-deadlines-explained-for-Hawthorne-athletes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230826-d85715dc86a6a770cf7a652cdf45b06e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032276&Signature=WqJRpnUKQ6pAhkxKuyjKVI4QZ-rY7XPNimGFPvH9Rj3OC9U331h0kdCItP6UN5PTQHbv9vz9LkglgyPu-q5a75zqAmHnVLeixnRf~0V2k0pd9xc4zESzdxwLtE3gkm5IPnWBBoBJIo9n0Iz8n3sRu9-FeIO7ObJ5RE~GhTLhO~JcEbAp9bEsnY6AKx~j6JzO-cHUfRRXApVGXk11xTSwoNklGj-PTgAKZlkMLzS5~U1EchLCyomWwjXwL8GEcjBVQ1xZv-Y9SXOMGz4Tu5r5DZU-ZyqCaVI5lmdB0-aHxvwS0hj0f0~uZ0oLSnwwkVFZ9hJyWh2WQUctyda-sLwshQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hawthorne High School’s athletic trainer, identified in the presentation as Miss W, told parents the district’s athletic registration moved to a new online platform and reviewed annual physical and medical documentation requirements that affect clearance for summer and fall participation.

The clarification matters because parents must register and submit the correct paperwork by specific dates for athletes to be cleared for practices and games.

Miss W said physicals now must be submitted annually and “expire after 365 days.” For the upcoming fall she gave deadline dates: high school physicals are due July 23 and middle‑school (LMS) physicals are due August 20. For summer practice, Miss W said athletes whose physicals “expire before June 9” must renew to be cleared for summer activities. She also said students who use an inhaler or have asthma must submit an asthma treatment plan.

Miss W described the new registration process during the presentation: parents must create an account on the district’s registration portal (she demonstrated a QR code and phone view), use a personal email address for reliability, select all sports the athlete might play, complete required health and emergency contact fields and accept listed state policies, and press the final submit button to complete registration. She cautioned that completing the form without hitting submit will not deliver the registration to the athletic office. She recommended emailing scanned forms to her to speed processing and said the school doctor typically clears submitted physicals quickly — sometimes the same day.

On the medical side, Miss W said the single‑page physical form is now the primary page to submit and that additional history pages should be kept by families and brought to the physician but not turned in with the athletic office. She noted physician signature lines include cardiac assessment fields. When a family submits a physical via email, Miss W said she forwards it to the school doctor for clearance and will notify families by email when approval is complete. She said she will be available in the cafeteria after the presentation to help parents set up accounts or answer registration questions.

The trainer also urged parents to keep login credentials for the account (used for the child’s registration in subsequent years) and said the district provides both phone and computer interfaces for registration. The presentation slides and registration links will be posted on the athletics page on the school website.","Hawthorne High School trainer (Miss W) explained a switch to a new online registration system, the annual physical requirements and deadlines for fall and summer participation, and instructions for submitting forms to speed medical clearance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6230831,"Hawthorne athletic director previews seasons, coaches, booster support and event logistics",0,295000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417&start=295&end=295","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441919-3624199b95835e8b28f9db3e3b4bd417/thumbnail_295000.jpg","/articles/6230831/New-Jersey/Hawthorne-athletic-director-previews-seasons-coaches-booster-support-and-event-logistics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230831-3fba1eddffcb0e20ee4c97ed26532f9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032276&Signature=G~gK9cJTML~YIAzI8tx2eLIfz3cz6z3yaZUG3Yk8mwCo0f5GZKRG8nt4FKH8LBi8msA2io3dREUdlHIsaQH2lBmqv-8N-w1xLQdD1nD2mZntBYzc1GuPAbCpVdN-tJcy~RnlqAoph19WL6lDMTmmAy-5hO7O-y~o6ftpnH8RrUUx1VCp4fQSNjC4P08WYvSwSddDs8mL51v3n7I883lrjODyMRLQK4ElrAxtgM7xt8IRuXlXCckonuzy6NAjFv4M4EL08V8vShC6bcOj7oMMgJ0eXmN-6dKFcaRU6QJS6vUW8L95UL6NiGmR36vF9qrOMma5iBuYudK8AsxEw7ojCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a parent information night at Hawthorne High School, Athletic Director Art Mazaca outlined the district’s high school and middle‑school sports offerings, introduced coaching staff, and described event logistics and Booster Club support. He also reviewed senior banners, blackout week and several calendar dates parents should note.

The overview matters because the school’s seasonal offerings, travel and safety procedures affect participation, transportation and parent planning for hundreds of student athletes across fall, winter and spring seasons.

Mazaca said the high school fields varsity and junior varsity teams across multiple sports: fall football (varsity, JV), boys and girls soccer (varsity and potential JV depending on turnout), girls tennis (varsity with possible JV), girls volleyball (varsity and JV, with freshman program development), cheer (varsity and spirit squad), and middle‑school fall soccer limited to seventh and eighth graders. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball (varsity, JV, freshman where available), wrestling (varsity and JV, including girls participants), indoor track (varsity and JV), bowling (varsity and JV) and varsity cheer, which competes in conference and county championships. Spring sports listed were baseball, softball, boys lacrosse, outdoor track, golf and girls flag football (currently not a varsity sport at the school level). Mazaca said some JV status depends on participation numbers.

Mazaca introduced head coaches by sport name during the presentation; for example, he named Angelo Gounieri (football), Ryan McMahon (boys soccer and head boys basketball), Danielle Just (girls tennis), Meghan Carr (girls volleyball) and Greg Carter (wrestling). He emphasized the schools’ emphasis on student‑athlete academics and behavior: “You are a student first,” Mazaca said, describing minimum academic and attendance expectations for participation.

Booster Club president Bob Esquale described the club’s fundraising and expenditures, saying the group funds awards events, senior brunch scholarships, field equipment, a lightning detector, benches, signage and engraved pavers. Esquale asked for additional members and volunteer time rather than primarily money. Mazaca said the Booster Club is funding an athletic hall of fame planned for an inaugural class announcement in March and encouraged alumni participation.

Mazaca reviewed several operational items parents should note: schedules are posted on the school athletics webpage and parents can use a “notify me” option to receive immediate updates when games are rescheduled; the district buses student athletes to events and will not release students to caregivers at events without prior written/email notice copied to the coach and athletic director; student drivers are not permitted to drive themselves to events; senior banners cost $45 each (checks payable to Hawthorne Athletics) with a $20 late‑order surcharge if ordered after vendor deadlines; key dates include sports awards and the senior brunch (dates announced during the presentation); and blackout week — when no coach contact or practice is allowed — is scheduled for July 28 to August 3 in the upcoming year.

Mazaca also announced a summer weight‑room program for high school athletes running from June 23 through the week before blackout week, with four sign‑up slots per day and weekly sign‑up emails. He encouraged parents to meet coaches in breakout rooms after the presentation and to visit the Booster Club table in the cafeteria.

Mazaca asked parents to complete a district survey about potential changes to the athletic complex; he described the survey as exploratory and said it was not a decision but a way to gauge interest.","At a parent information night at Hawthorne High School, Athletic Director Art Mazaca reviewed the district’s varsity and middle‑school sports offerings, introduced coaches, outlined event logistics including bus and pickup rules, and described Booster Club fundraising and planned athletic hall of fame activity.","actionData","errors"]

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Trainer, school doctor described concussion testing, clearance and mandatory return‑to‑play steps

Trainer: new electronic registration and annual physical deadlines explained for Hawthorne athletes

Hawthorne athletic director previews seasons, coaches, booster support and event logistics