Niles and Buchanan will take part in a pilot program that will focus on sideline concussion testing.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association hosted 70 members schools Monday to kickoff the Illinois-based King-Devick Test and the Maryland-based XLNbrian Sport.

Between the two tests, approximately 10,000 Michigan high school athletes will be monitored. All four classes and a variety of regions will be represented in the studies.

“We are excited to participate in this program,” former Buchanan and current Benton Harbor athletic director Fred Smith said. “The health and safety of our student-athletes is always foremost in our mind.”

“This is just another tool that can help,” Niles Athletic Director Jeff Upton said. “We also use impact testing at Niles with all athletes and the two tests will hopefully help keep our athletes safe and healthy.

“This is a pilot program and we had training earlier this week in Lansing. Niles was awarded the safe school designation last year by the Athletic Trainers Association and we are proud to continue to provide leading edge technology that will benefit our athletes.”

The programs are a part of the MHSAA’s ongoing initiative in concussion care.

In addition to becoming the first state association to offer pilot sideline concussion testing, the MHSAA will be the first to mandate record keeping by member schools of all possible concussion events from the moment of detection to the athlete’s return to playing.

This applies to both practices and competition.

Additionally, the MHSAA will also be the first state association to provide all participants at every member high school and middle school with insurance intended to pay accident medical expense benefits to cover deductibles and co-pays left unpaid by other policies as a result of a concussion sustained during practice or competition.

There is no cost to either schools or families.

“These pilot programs are intended to not only improve what’s actually happening on the sidelines at practices and contests in these communities that are part of the pilot programs, they’re intended to spread the word of the need for improved concussion detection across every community,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “We hope these schools involved will become involved in their leagues and conferences and with their peers across the state as we expand the awareness of the need for better sideline detection and provide ways to get it done.”

Schools participating in the King-Devick Test pilot are: Bay City Western, Benton Harbor, Buchanan, Calumet, Caro, Caseville, Detroit Cody, Detroit Martin Luther King, Fenton, Flint Kearsley, Frankenmuth, Fruitport, Garden City, Grand Ledge, Grand Rapids Northview, Lake Leelanau St. Mary, Lake Linden-Hubbell, Lincoln Alcona, Midland Bullock Creek, Montague, Muskegon, Niles, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Romeo, Saginaw Heritage, Scottville Mason County Central, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Joseph, Tawas, Vicksburg, Whitehall and Yale.

“The King-Devick Test is a rapid eye movement screening evaluation that requires athletes to read single-digit numbers displayed on a tablet computer in order to detect impairments of eye movement, attention, language, concentration and other symptoms of abnormal brain function,” according to the MHSAA. “The test has been validated in more than 50 recent peer reviewed articles published in elite medical journals and is associated with the Mayo Clinic.

“The test is administered on the sidelines during evaluations for suspected head injuries, and the post-injury results are then compared to an athlete’s preseason baseline. Any worsening of performance (increased time and/or errors) suggests a concussion has occurred and the athlete should be “removed from play” for further evaluation.”

“The first and most critical step in managing concussion in the youth athlete is to recognize when one has occurred — not always a simple task,” said Dr. David Dodick, professor of neurology and director of sports concussion services at the Mayo Clinic. “The King-Devick test helps take the guesswork and subjectivity out of the sideline evaluation in a rapid, accurate, and objective way.”

In the spring, the MHSAA asked schools if they wanted to participate in the pilot programs and picked them in order to have a variety of schools based on enrollment and location.

Schools had to commit to having at least two sports for both boys and girls participate in each season.