Sports Performance Concussion Protocol

Most protocols
stop at
diagnosis.
DARC starts there.

The only return-to-sport concussion protocol built specifically for competitive youth athletes.

Work With Us See the Protocol
50–65%
of youth concussions go unreported each year
2/3
of high schools have no full-time athletic trainer
~0
published protocols integrate visual, autonomic & vestibular rehab simultaneously
The Problem

There's a gap. And it's only getting larger.

Youth athletes are increasingly competitive. The sports medicine infrastructure protecting them is not keeping pace. When a concussion happens, the standard of care leaves athletes stranded between two moments — and DARC fills that space.

Current standard
Diagnosis by physician
Rest for 24–48 hours
Symptom monitoring
Wait for clearance
Doctor signs off
Return to full contact
With DARC
Sideline recognition with structured screen
Comprehensive assessment at 48 hours
Individualized pathway by deficit type
Gated progression with objective criteria
Sports-specific reintegration before contact
Clearance with performance benchmarks
DARC
Six-phase gated protocol integrating visual retraining, autonomic rehabilitation, vestibular rehab, and performance benchmarks — simultaneously. The only protocol built specifically for competitive youth athletes.
The Protocol

Six phases. One standard.

DARC is a gated, six-phase return-to-sport system. Athletes progress only when objective criteria are met — not on time alone. Each phase addresses the root driver of chronic symptoms: maladaptation during recovery.

Phase 0
Sideline Recognition
Structured two-tier screening. Mechanism, Maddock Questions, cervical screen, and performance run against pre-season baseline.
Phase 1
Acute Rest
0–48 hours of complete rest. Clear exit criteria tied to daily activity tolerance — not a timer.
Phase 2
DARC Assessment
Comprehensive vestibular, oculomotor, cervical, and Buffalo Treadmill evaluation. Identifies the athlete's individual deficit pathway.
Phase 3
Individualized Recovery
Three tiered sub-phases (SP1, SP2, SP3), each performance and tolerance gated. Visual training, graded endurance, and resistance reintroduction in sequence.
Phase 4
Sports-Specific Reintegration
Non-contact practice, sport drills, and progressive loading at RPE 6–8. Minimum one full week before Phase 5 consideration.
Phase 5
Clearance & Return
Performance benchmarks within ±5% of pre-season. Written physician clearance mandatory. Coach briefing required before full contact.
Who It's For

Built for the people responsible for athletes.

DARC is designed for sports organizations that take return-to-play seriously — and recognize that "rest and wait" is not a protocol.

Youth Sports Organizations
Club programs, travel teams, and recreational leagues with competitive athletes who need a real return-to-sport standard — not just a liability waiver. Football, ice hockey, and soccer programs in particular.
High School Athletic Programs
Schools with athletic trainers who need a structured, defensible protocol they can implement across multiple sports. Two-thirds of high schools lack a full-time AT — DARC gives those programs a system they can actually use.
PT & AT Clinicians
Physical therapists and athletic trainers who want a validated, evidence-based framework for managing concussion recovery — not just a checklist. Certification course coming.
Parents & Athletes
Families navigating a concussion without a clear roadmap. DARC gives athletes the structure to recover completely — not just fast. Consumer resource coming soon.
What Makes DARC Different

We don't replace the diagnosis.
We own what comes after.

The primary driver of chronic symptoms is not the concussion itself — it is maladaptation during recovery. DARC is designed to prevent that.
Visual Retraining
Oculomotor and vestibulo-ocular training integrated from Phase 3 — not punted to occupational therapy or omitted entirely.
Autonomic Rehab
Buffalo Treadmill/Bike Test-driven exercise prescription with individualized heart rate targets. Graded exertion is treatment, not a risk.
Vestibular Rehab
Comprehensive vestibular assessment and pathway-specific habituation and stabilization training built into the protocol itself.
Objective Gating
Athletes progress on criteria — VAS scores, heart rate recovery, accuracy benchmarks — not calendar days. No guessing, no rushing.
Performance Benchmarks
Clearance requires performance within ±5% of pre-season baselines. Return to sport is not a signature — it's a standard.
Youth Sport Focus
Designed specifically for competitive youth athletes — not adapted from adult protocols. The populations are not the same.
About

Built by a clinician who saw the gap firsthand.

Dr. Chloe Linh Nguyen is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in Sports Performance Rehabilitation and Concussion. DARC was developed from direct clinical experience with competitive youth athletes — and from the consistent observation that the space between diagnosis and full clearance was unstructured, inconsistent, and clinically unsatisfying.

DARC is not a research project. It is a working clinical protocol, developed to be implemented — by individual clinicians, by organizations, and eventually at scale.

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Sports Performance Rehabilitation specialist
Concussion management and return-to-sport
Visual and vestibular rehabilitation
The problem in numbers
50–65%
of youth concussions are never reported to a medical professional
2/3
of US high schools have no full-time athletic trainer on staff
~0
published protocols simultaneously integrate visual, autonomic, and vestibular rehab for youth athletes
Work With Us

Three ways to bring DARC to your program.

DARC is currently available to sports organizations, high school programs, and clinicians in Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. Start with what makes sense for your program.

Start Here
Offer A
Staff Certification Workshop
A half-day workshop for your athletic training staff and coaches. Your team leaves with the full DARC protocol, sideline screen card, home program templates, and advancement criteria — and knows how to use them. Groups of 4–8 people.
$500–$1,500 per person · Minimum group of 4
Offer B
Protocol Licensing
License the full DARC protocol for your organization. Includes the sideline screen card, home program templates, clearance checklist, and a half-day AT staff workshop. Annual renewal with protocol updates.
$2,000–$8,000 per organization · Annual renewal
Offer C
Embedded Consulting
Monthly retainer during active season. Includes preseason baseline testing, Phase 2 evaluations within 48–72 hours of any concussion, Phase 3–5 oversight, AT staff support, and an end-of-season report.
$1,500–$5,000 per month · Seasonal retainer
Contact

Let's talk about your program.

Whether you're an athletic director evaluating protocols, a clinician looking to implement DARC, or a parent with questions — reach out. Every inquiry is answered personally.

Website darcprotocol.com
Geographic Focus West Coast — WA, OR, CA, NV
Clinician Certification Coming 2026/2027 — join the interest list