26 April 2023 – Podium Analytics (“Podium”), the NGO and charity committed to reducing injury in sport, welcomes the new UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport.
Andy Hunt, CEO at Podium Analytics, said: “The new UK-wide Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport are a really positive step forward, providing a much needed consistent approach for managing head injuries. We all share a duty of care to every young person playing sport to provide a safer environment in which they are protected. It is time for sports clubs, governing bodies and schools to embrace the Guidelines for the welfare of young people playing sport.
“However, schools and sports clubs need an easy way to implement the guidelines. Currently, only 2% of the UK’s schools and grassroots sports clubs have a system for recording and managing sport-related concussion. To follow the new government guidelines, a proper system to record and manage head injury incidences is needed. Podium’s SportSmart app does this, is available right now and at no cost to schools and clubs.”
SportSmart allows teachers, coaches and parents/carers to log, assess and manage suspected sport-related concussion incidents in line with government’s new sports concussion guidelines. An intuitive and highly secure platform, SportSmart is already in use within schools and sports clubs across the UK.
Andy Hunt, CEO at Podium Analytics, explained: “Grassroots sport – school age and upwards – represents 99% of all sport in the UK. Complying with the new guidelines will be challenging for schools and clubs, as young people often play lots of sports in different environments. Better communication between schools and clubs, will provide players and parents with clearer guidance in relation to a suspected sport-related concussion. Having the technology to manage this is essential.”
SportSmart works by using a concussion recognition and symptom severity tool, and provides a traffic light notification system to alert relevant adults that a player or athlete has a suspected concussion. It identifies the availability of a player during and after the new minimum 21-day return-to-play period.
In addition, SportSmart allows players and athletes to share notifications of concussive incidents across all the organisations at which they play sport, once the player or their parent/carer provides consent to do so.
Alex Danson MBE, former England Women’s Hockey Captain and Olympic gold medallist and Podium Athlete Ambassador, commented: “I have personally experienced the severe impact that concussion can have on your life, whether it takes place on or off the pitch. As a former elite athlete, a mother of two young children, and now as a coach, I know that we need to encourage everyone to take these new UK concussion guidelines seriously and to seize the opportunity that Podium is offering schools and clubs with its SportSmart app."