Club & travel sports

Baseline Testing for Club and Travel Sports: A Playbook for Organizations With No Athletic Trainer

Tiered, affordable baseline testing — from free to comprehensive, scaled to any organization.

April 3, 20265 min read

Most club and travel sports organizations operate without medical staff of any kind. No athletic trainer. No team physician. No school nurse. Just volunteer coaches, parent coordinators, and an insurance policy. Yet their athletes face the same concussion risk as school-sponsored athletes — and in some cases higher risk, given the intensity of competitive travel programs and the extended seasons they play. See also the club sports concussion gap.

Tier 1 — Minimum viable baseline ($15–$20/athlete)

Have every athlete complete ImPACT Baseline online at BaselineTesting.com before the season starts. The test takes 20–25 minutes on a home computer. Each athlete receives a unique Passport ID number that any ImPACT-trained healthcare provider can access if a concussion is later suspected. This provides a cognitive baseline with validity indicators.

Tier 2 — Add balance ($20–$30/athlete)

Supplement the ImPACT cognitive baseline with a smartphone-based balance assessment using an app like Sway Medical or HitCheck. These tests take 5 minutes and can be administered by a trained parent coordinator. This gives you two-domain coverage (cognition + balance) at minimal additional cost.

Tier 3 — Add symptom and education ($20–$30/athlete)

Distribute printed SCAT6 symptom checklists (available free from the British Journal of Sports Medicinewebsite) and have athletes complete the symptom inventory portion before the season. Store these with the ImPACT and balance data. Use the distribution event as an opportunity for concussion education — the CDC’s free HEADS UP online training (cdc.gov/headsup) takes about 20 minutes and is appropriate for coaches and parents.

Tier 4 — Partner with a concussion clinic ($40–$75/athlete)

Contract with a local concussion management clinic (like Headquarters) for comprehensive, supervised, multi-domain baseline testing including VOMS. Many clinics offer team rates for groups of 15+.

Every organization should have a policy

Regardless of tier, every club organization should have a simple written concussion policy: remove from play if a concussion is suspected, do not allow return the same day, require written medical clearance from a qualified healthcare provider before return to play, and communicate the policy to all families at registration.

At Headquarters, we work with club and travel organizations at every tier. Contact us for team rates and organizational consultation.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

What's the minimum viable baseline for a club team?

Tier 1: ImPACT Baseline ($15–$20/athlete) completed at home before the season. Each athlete gets a Passport ID any ImPACT-trained provider can access after an injury.

How do you add balance testing without an athletic trainer?

Use a smartphone app like Sway Medical or HitCheck for 5-minute balance assessment, administered by a trained parent coordinator.

What about symptom and education?

Distribute free SCAT6 symptom checklists and have athletes complete the symptom inventory pre-season. Use the CDC's free HEADS UP online training for coaches and parents.

What's the basic concussion policy every club should have?

Remove from play if suspected, no same-day return, written medical clearance required before return to play, and communicate the policy to all families at registration.