MARQUETTE -- Throw, catch, and tackle. It's all part of the game. And starting this fall, an exam, first introduced back in 2009, will have athletes at Marquette Area Public Schools tackling another challenge.
"It was not a mandatory test at that time, but since then, we are lucky enough that our school board saw the importance, and they agreed to make this a mandatory test for all of our athletes," said Jamie Tuma, athletic coordinator for MAPS.
It's called a baseline test, a memory and response exam already used in hundreds of schools across the nation. The cost? Two dollars per student, per test.
"Baseline test is a way of determining where an athlete is prior to injury," said Mark Stonerock, a certified athletic trainer at U.P. Rehab Services. "It can also help identify any neurological deficits that an athlete has prior to the season."
But the real strength of the test comes after an injury. The screening takes about 45 minutes to complete online. It tests the student's cognitive skills after a concussion. Officials say it helps track the recovery process and gets the athlete back on the field faster. And it could help avoid the estimated 12 concussions per year at the school.
Once concussed, an athlete must pass the baseline test and be cleared by a doctor.
"Early detection, when it comes to sports concussions, is important," said Dr. Karen Eldevick, a board certified family physician with Marquette General Family Medicine. "If you're anxious to get back in the play, you may not be completely honest, you may not produce the reports. The doctor may have to dig a bit."
Officials say there's little room to cheat with the baseline test. If an athlete hasn't fully recovered, he or she will have a hard time passing it. And it could take days, if not weeks, before getting back in the game.
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