More changes could be coming to the way schools deal with athletic injuries.

At an afternoon meeting on Tuesday, UNC professor of Exercise and Sport Science Kevin Guskiewicz presented nine recommendations to the board of directors at the North Carolina High School Athletics Association. Guskiewicz said serious head injuries are taking place across the nation, and the professor said, "We have concluded that the coverage of care [in high school athletics] is substandard."

These recommendations come in the wake of the deaths of three North Carolina high school football players since August.

On August 12, Chapel Hill High School player Atlas Frayley died after feeling sick at practice. Just over a week later, Matt Gfeller from Winston-Salem died two days after taking a hit to the head in a game. Then three weeks ago, Juquan Waller from J-H rose High School in Greenville died after collapsing on the sideline. He had suffered a concussion two days earlier, before being hit again in that game.

Guskiewicz made the following recommendations:

1. Require all schools to employ a certified athletic trainer
2. Keep athletes from continuing to participate with their sport on the same day that a suspected concussion has occurred
3. Require a physician's release before allowing athletes to return to a sport following a concussion injury.
4. Store athletic trainer credentials on file
5. Develop an emergency action plan at all schools
6. Verify that all coaches and athletics personnel understand the school's Emergency Action Plan
7. Require Schools to adopt a standardized pre-participation examination form
8. Implement mandatory, standardized testing for athletes who might have a concussion
9. Require athletics personnel to attend mandatory education programs

"We need to act now to improve the care that we're providing," said Guskiewicz.

After being asked by the board, Guskiewicz says he is working with state lawmakers to come up with the money needed to pay for the recommendations. Guskiewicz said he has made an agreement with an Oklahoma-based company to provide computerized psychological testing at a reduced price.

Board members are expected to decide on how to proceed with Guskiewicz's recommendations on Wednesday afternoon.