Impact Testing for Sports

The Athletic Department hopes all our Lumberjacks and their families are having a great summer.  It seems like a long time until we all meet on the fields, in the Williams’ Center and LePage for fall activities.  But we have been planning for them since spring.

One thing that every new Lumberjack and about half of our returning Lumberjacks needs to do each year is taking an ImPACT test.  This is an online test that gives our athletic trainer and the health center staff a baseline to use in case any of our students has a head injury and possible concussion.  It is required of all students no matter what their after-school activities are.

The ImPACT test, which stands for Immediate Post Concussion and Cognitive Test,  is standard throughout schools and clinics in the US.  It has been used for over 20 years as the baseline to help injured students return to academics and athletics.  It is the only FDA-approved tool for concussion assessment.

In past years we have given the test on campus in the fall, but we find that holds up the beginning of activities. This year we are asking students to take the test at home prior to arrival.  The test is very much like a video game.  It requires a laptop or computer, internet access, a quiet room and about 45 minutes of a student's time uninterrupted.  

We ask you to allow your student to complete the test uninterrupted and on their own with no help.  There is no passing score - this is a baseline only in case they need to be assessed after an injury.  Assisting them will only skew the results and not be helpful if we retest them- it could actually delay their return to activity.

We plan to have the link available to students who need to take the test on Monday, July 25.  The link will be open until Friday, August 5.  All new students are required to take this test.  Only returning students who were not tested last year need to take it this year.  Your student will receive an email on July 25th with the link, so please watch for it.

Parents, you will need to sign the consent form found in the requirements in Magnus by July 1.  Any student who has not taken the test by the time they arrive on campus will not be able to participate in any sport or after-school activity until the test is completed.

For more information on concussions and ImPACT testing you may go to this link.

If you have questions, please reach out to mdespins@hebronacademy.org or dtraub@hebronacademy.org