Athletic Clearance
Every Sailor has to be cleared before their first practice, not their first contest. These are the items that have to be on file, who has to provide each one, and what an athlete may and may not do while one is outstanding.
This is not the school's clearance system
The six, plus one
six items apply to every athlete in every program. The last one on the list is the one most often misread: a missing neurocognitive baseline does not stop an athlete training — it stops them taking contact, which is a different and much smaller restriction. That distinction is the whole reason this department records a level rather than a yes or no.
| Item | Who provides it | Valid for | While it is missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ItemPre-participation physicalExamined and signed by a physician. Expires a year from the exam date, not from the season. | Who provides itA physician | Valid for365 days | While it is missingCannot take part at all |
| ItemConsent and acknowledgment of riskSigned once per school year by a parent or guardian. One signature covers every program the athlete plays. | Who provides itA parent or guardian | Valid forThe school year | While it is missingCannot take part at all |
| ItemProof of accident insurancePolicy number and carrier on file, or enrollment in the school plan. | Who provides itA parent or guardian | Valid forThe school year | While it is missingCannot take part at all |
| ItemHead-injury information sheetSigned by athlete and parent together. Re-signed each school year. | Who provides itAthlete and parent together | Valid forThe school year | While it is missingCannot take part at all |
| ItemNeurocognitive baseline testAdministered by the athletic trainer. Without it there is no post-injury comparison, so contact is withheld — conditioning is not. | Who provides itThe athletic trainer | Valid for730 days | While it is missingNon-contact only |
| ItemSudden cardiac arrest information sheetRequired of every California high-school athlete before participation, and re-signed each school year. | Who provides itAthlete and parent together | Valid forThe school year | While it is missingCannot take part at all |
One more, for the water
Open-water safety acknowledgment
Open-water programs only. Surf and sailing practice off campus on the water, so consent is scoped separately from the campus consent.
The return-to-play ladder
An athlete removed for a suspected head injury does not come back when they feel better. They come back one rung at a time, with a minimum stay on each, and the last rung needs a written physician release. Nothing on this page is a medical document — it is the sequence, so a parent knows what to expect and roughly how long it takes.
- 1
Symptom-limited rest
No exertion. Academic accommodations as needed.
Minimum 24h at this stage
- 2
Light aerobic exercise
Walking or stationary bike. No resistance training.
Minimum 24h at this stage
- 3
Sport-specific exercise
Running and change of direction. No head-impact activity.
Minimum 24h at this stage
- 4
Non-contact training drills
Position work and resistance training. No contact.
Minimum 24h at this stage
- 5
Full practice
Normal practice, after a written physician release is on file.
Minimum 24h at this stage · physician release required
- 6
Returned to competition
No restriction.
No minimum
Where this list comes from