Lethbridge College Kodiaks receive new concussion diagnosing app for student athletes

LETHBRIDGE -

All student athletes hope they never suffer a concussion, but they happen and can have serious impacts.

Now, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks Association hopes to help -- at least with managing them. It has brought in the HeadCheck Health app for student athletes, coaches and trainers to help diagnose, track and treat concussions, while safely returning student athletes to action once they’re ready.

“We never want anybody to have to experience things like concussions, but they’re going to happen, its part of playing collegiate sport,” said Kodiaks Athletic manager, Todd Caughlin. “Now, to be able to now have this in place to help speed up that recovery and care because you never know, it’s that hidden injury that nobody can see, but it’s so evident that having this in place now is going to make such a big, positive impact for Kodiak athletics.”

The new app includes a detailed return-to-play protocol that can be implemented in conjunction with the Kodiaks’ medical staff, ensuring athletes are fully cleared and safe to get back on the court or field following an injury.

“So, that we can see maybe the after care, it’s all charted, it’s all documented, so we know these student athletes that need a return-to-play are going to have access to the knowledge, not just us coaching staff,” said Caughlin.

HeadCheck allows coaches and trainers to conduct advanced digital baseline and post-injury assessments for head injuries and share information that could help more broadly.

“We did a lot of testing before, but this streamlines everything,” said Kodiaks head athletic therapist Carolyn Glavacevic. “So, the identification, the management and the care of concussions is all combined into one thing.”

Athletes say they are happy to have this technology in their back pockets.

“The fact that we have guidelines now to look over and a program and even an app that we can actually look at so that we can actually help prevent some of the damages and maybe get people back into the sport faster is amazing as a student athlete,” said Chris Schlauwitz, who is in his first year on the Kodiaks men’s basketball team.

Schlauwitz hasn’t suffered from a concussion, but says he knows it can be serious.

“Anything that helps us get back into sports sooner and makes sure that we’re healthy, right, and we’re not just pushing athletes back into sports even when we know they’re not 100 per cent. Anything that helps us get back safely and in good time is fine by me.”

The new app has been funded by the Kodiaks Association, a group that supports Kodiak athletics using different initiatives.

The HeadCheck system was implemented during the latter part of the 2021 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference soccer season, while the Kodiaks basketball and volleyball teams have all undergone preseason baseline testing with the system.