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Bill would mandate head-injury training for coaches
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February 16, 2010
Sen. Daniel Squadron, D-Brooklyn, is pushing for the passage of his legislation to better protect student athletes who suffer head injuries.
"Requiring proper training for coaches, assuring that injured kids don't return to play without the clearance of a medical professional and spreading the word about equipment safety are common sense ways to cut down on the most harmful traumatic brain injuries," Squadron said in a prepared statement.
Squadron and other supporters of the bill spoke at a press conference in Manhattan on Jan. 31.
Bill S.06297 would require mandatory training for coaches in recognizing head injuries and the symptoms of concussions. It would ensure student athletes who sustain concussions are not permitted to compete until they have been cleared by a medical professional.
The bill remained in the Senate Rules Committee at the end of the 2009 legislative session and was referred to the Education Committee at the beginning of 2010.
Senate Education Committee spokeswoman Debra Lagapa said a vote has yet to be scheduled, but Squadron's spokeswoman Leilah Mooney said she anticipates the bill will come to a vote in the Education Committee on Feb. 23. The bill has no same-as in the Assembly.
Lagapa said Education Committee Chairwoman Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck, supports the bill.
If enacted into law, the legislation would go into effect in July 2010, in time for the start of the next school year.
As many as 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury. In football, brain injuries account for 65 to 95 percent of all fatalities, according to the Sports Concussion Institute.
A concussion is an injury to the brain often resulting from a blow to the head. Symptoms include confusion, personality changes, dizziness, unconsciousness, memory loss, headache, nausea and sensitivity to light or noise.
Similar return-to-play legislation, called the "Zackery Lystedt Law," already exists in Washington state. The bill is named after a student athlete, who, after sustaining a concussion while playing football, returned to the field after sitting on the sidelines for 15 minutes. Lystedt fell into a coma soon after the game was over. At the age of 14, Lystedt is now blind and wheelchair bound.
Under existing education law in New York, coaches are only required to receive training in first aid. The proposed bill would add a component to the first aid training to ensure coaches know how to recognize concussions. This new effort would come at minimal cost to the state, said Mooney.
The bill does not specify any criminal penalties, though coaches could be kept from coaching if they do not comply, said Mooney.
Sen. Kemp Hannon, R-Garden City, who is the ranking minority member of the Health Committee, said in a statement that he applauds Squadron's efforts since "it is imperative that we address the growing issue of traumatic brain injuries and dangers that they pose to the children of our state."
"Too often the story we don't hear is of the school or youth athlete suffering the same fate and the enormous risk our children face if head injuries are not treated appropriately," said Edwin Simpser, chief medical officer at St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, a Queens organization that provides intensive rehabilitation, specialized care and education to children with special needs and life-limiting conditions.
"The path to decreasing the occurrence of head injuries begins with increasing education and awareness. Sen. Squadron's crucial legislation will lead to better informed coaches, more aware parents and safer players and in doing so it will literally save lives," said Simpser at the Jan. 31 press conference.
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