Melissa Marshall

athletes

7/23/2024

Dear Parent/Guardian, Edgeley Public School is currently implementing an innovative program for our student-athletes. This program will assist our team physicians/ athletic trainers in evaluating and treating head injuries (e.g., concussion). To do so, we have acquired a software tool called Sway Medical. Sway is a medical mobile application program that provides a comprehensive balance and cognition exam that is used by many professional, collegiate, and high school sports programs across the country to manage head injuries. If an athlete is believed to have suffered a head injury during competition, Sway is used to help monitor symptoms and track an athlete’s recovery.Student athletes will complete the Sway exam on their mobile device before beginning contact sport practice or competition. The Sway baseline exam involves a balance challenge, and four cognitive tests that measure their reaction time and other cognitive functions. It will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. None of your child’s information will be stored on the device. All of the information is deidentified and stored in our HIPAA, FERPA secure cloud server in the United States. In the event of an injury, we will be able to re-test athletes throughout their recovery period and communicate the results to a local doctor or, to help evaluate the injury. The information gathered can also be shared with your family doctor. The test data will enable these health professionals to determine when return-to-play is appropriate and safe for the injured athlete. We are excited to implement this program given that it provides us the best available information for managing concussions and preventing potential brain damage that can occur with multiple concussions. The Edgeley administration, coaching, and athletic training staff are striving to keep your child’s health and safety at the forefront of the student athletic experience. If you have any questions. Please contact me at the school, 701-493-2292Thank you for your cooperation and ongoing support in ensuring the well-being of our students.Sincerely,Morgan SchwartzenbergerEdgeley Activities DirectorEdgeley Public School