Wise protection for student-athletes
High school football players Credit: Kevin P Coughlin, 2010
The New York State Legislature has made a sensible compromise on developing statewide rules to protect student-athletes from head injuries without burdening school districts with specific mandates on how to best implement the guidelines.
The Concussion Management Awareness Act, which is expected to pass in the next two weeks, requires that any player showing signs of a concussion must be removed from the field immediately. In addition, to stop girls and boys from returning to the lineup too soon, the bill requires that a player be symptom-free for 24 hours and be cleared by a physician.
These are the minimum standards that many athletic directors and parents are calling for to prevent and reduce brain trauma. Too often, athletes, coaches and even parents were willing to ignore seemingly mild or unseen injuries which, when left undiagnosed and untreated, could lead to permanent brain damage.
The legislation sponsored by Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) does not mandate that schools establish concussion management teams, but provides model guidelines so that school personnel can effectively deal with the problem.
The state's new rules won't apply to private schools, club teams or youth leagues, but parents and coaches of those players would be wise to follow the same regulations.
There is no game, tournament or championship that is worth the health, if not the life, of a student-athlete.
