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

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.