Athletics
Student-Athlete Health & Concussion Protocol
A suspected concussion ends a student-athlete's participation for that day, no exceptions, no matter what the score is or who is asking.
The same-day rule
Any athlete showing or reporting a possible concussion symptom is removed from play immediately and cannot return that same day, evaluated by an athletic trainer or team physician, regardless of the score, the importance of the game, or the athlete’s own insistence they feel fine. This rule has no coach override — the medical staff’s call is final on the field.
Return-to-play protocol
A confirmed concussion triggers a graduated, medically supervised return over a minimum of several days: physical and cognitive rest, then a stepwise return to light exercise, sport-specific training, and full contact, each stage cleared individually by the athletic trainer before the next begins. Skipping a stage because a game is coming up is not permitted.
Baseline testing
Every athlete in a contact or collision sport completes a baseline cognitive assessment before their first season, giving the medical staff something concrete to compare against after a suspected injury rather than relying on symptom self-report alone.
Division III specifics
Because Porter competes at the NCAA Division III level (see conference & compliance), there is no athletic scholarship on the line if an injury ends a season — medical decisions are made without that additional pressure point that exists at scholarship-granting programs.