Parents of current McDonogh students may sign up for website accounts. Signing up for an account allows a parent to access the online directory, DASH, and your customized parent Personal Page.
Alumni can create an account in order to take advantage of McDonogh Connect or Pledgemail.
Our coaches take their role seriously, and the health and well-being of our student-athletes are a primary concern of McDonogh Athletics. We ensure that athletes have the proper equipment, and our coaches and trainers focus on teaching proper techniques and training methods to prevent needless injuries. From our Strength and Conditioning Program that gives our athletes a strong foundation to our athletic trainers who help athletes navigate recovery from injuries, McDonogh always keeps our student-athletes best interests at heart by communicating with the player, his or her parents, and teachers during the recovery period.
McDonogh's athletic trainers, led by Head Athletic Trainer Ashley Holmes, LAT, ATC, are committed to providing student-athletes with the highest quality health care. Knowing that each injury is different, our athletic trainers focus on the individual and their needs, developing a path back onto the field that seeks to prevent re-injury.
In addition to the athletic trainers on staff, Dr. Kyle Yost, DO serves as McDonogh's team physician. McDonogh also has a relationship with the University of Maryland's Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship program. A Fellow from the program comes once a week to meet with students and work with our Athletic Trainers.
The primary focus of McDonogh's strength and conditioning program is to prevent injury and to help students get faster and stronger. By creating well-rounded exercise regimens and teaching athletes proper technique, we aim to decrease the likelihood of suffering common injuries. Our strength and conditioning staff work with teams and individual athletes to tailor programs that build a strong foundation and help players reach their goals.
Our lifetime fitness facility, upgraded in 2015, provides state-of-the-art cardio and weight training equipment. Beginning in eighth grade, athletes are taught how to properly use equipment and how to train in a way that maximizes results without the risk of overtraining or fatigue injuries.
Studies have proven that a concussion or MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) is a significant injury that can have a lasting impact. At McDonogh, concussions are taken seriously, and we have developed strict protocols for managing how they are managed.
A concussion is a bump, blow, or jolt to the body that causes bruising to the brain when it hits the skull. Any one of the following symptoms is enough to suspect a concussion:
A concussion or MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) is extremely serious. When a student sustains a concussion, whether through athletic endeavors, recreational activities, or accidents, McDonogh School requires that he/she complete a step-by-step recovery process before resuming normal academic work, physical activity, and school life. Returning to any of these activities too soon may cause concussion symptoms to return. The brain needs time to heal.
Students in the Lower School who sustain a concussion must be seen by a private physician who will be required to complete and share with the school a document called an ACE form. The information on this form will be used by Lower School teachers and learning specialists to plan for any accommodations the injured student might need during the recovery period. For students in fifth and sixth grades, a medical liaison employed at the school will work with the learning specialists to manage the "return to learn" program as directed by a physician.
The recovery process for older students is managed by McDonogh’s Concussion Management Team, which is made up of two groups of people working together. The first is the medical group that includes physicians, athletic trainers, school nurses, and consulting neuropsychologists. The second is the academic group that consists of class deans, advisors, learning specialists, teachers, and school counselors. Teachers are kept well informed of their students' progress and are notified when those students are able to catch up academically. Because all seventh through twelfth graders are required to complete an annual Baseline Test through XLNT Brain, parents may log on to XLNTbrain to track the progress of their child's recovery using the Guardian Instructions.
In the initial stages a student with significant concussion symptoms, full cognitive and physical rest is imperative and expected. NO exercising the body and brain. NO computer screens. NO television. NO homework. NO reading. As symptoms resolve students will ease themselves back to more academic and physical activity under the guidance of our Concussion Management Team.
McDonogh’s Concussion Management System (CMS) tracks injured students and serves as the primary means of communication among all constituents. The CMS provides a record of assessments, treatments, and recommendations, as well as a timeline for "return to learn" and "return to play."
A final XLNTbrain test is given on the fifth or sixth day. Post-concussion scores must be the same or better than the baseline scores in order to return to play.
If you have any questions about XLNTbrain or McDonogh School’s Concussion Management Program, contact Athletic Trainer Jared Braverman at jbraverman@mcdonogh.org or 443-544-7148.
For additional information, view the video Concussion Management and Return to Learn by Dr. Mike Evans.