COVINGTON, Ky. - Academics are taken seriously at Covington Latin Schools. So are concussions. Now school leaders have a new protocol to help student-athletes.
In Kentucky, if a student gets a concussion, schools can't let them play again until a doctor clears them.
Covington Latin is taking that a step further by giving students with concussions a lighter workload in the classroom and more time to complete assignments as they recover.
They are even forcing students to miss class time if a head injury is bad enough.
"I think it's a great idea because as a student who puts my academics first, I want to make sure that I'm ready to go back to the classroom before I go back to the classroom," said Robby Case, a senior who plays basketball and golfs.
"I think the teachers that make this protocol want to help us achieve more, so they're helping us by monitoring our recuperation process."
Headmaster Jason Huther says this new protocol is another way of helping students succeed.
"It just goes to show how serious of an issue this is, so we wanted to take it seriously," said Huther. "We're just trying to do whatever we can to make it easy for that student to transition back into their studies."
Athletic Director Andy Peters is grateful that the school is taking the matter seriously.
"As athletic director, it's a weight off my shoulders. I'm very relieved that we now have a protocol in place because it's no longer a guessing game," Peters said.
Sheila Gray, whose two sons play sports at Covington Latin, is thankful that the school is looking out for her kids.
"I've always been concerned about what I would do if they were to experience a concussion. That's good to know, that Covington Latin sees both components - the athlete and the scholar," she said.
