(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) announced legislation which would help protect youth sports participants from severe injury by requiring the same protocols to be in place as those in place for high school athletes.
In 2014, the Boston University School of Medicine conducted a study that found former NFL players’ who began playing football before age 12 “demonstrate significantly greater impairment” than those who started playing later in life. The study published by the research journal Neurology points out that the years between 10 and 12 years of age are considered an important stage of brain development.
“As parents, we have a responsibility to be aware of sport related injuries for our children and I feel that our youth sports leagues should also be obligated to ensure proper procedures are followed to protect our children,” said Assemblymember McCarty. “This measure aims to create greater oversight and protection for our young athletes at an early age.
“This bill will help close many loopholes in concussion management at the youth sports level, and help protect our most vulnerable athletes by providing similar safeguards that are afforded to high school and college athletes. The California Athletic Trainers’ Association fully supports and sponsors this bill, as it will further our goal to protect athletes and the physically active,” said Mike Chisar, governmental affairs committee chair, CATA.
Sports-related concussion became a national topic when Dr. Bennett Omalu, an epidemiologist at UC Davis, reported on the results of an examination of the brain of a former football player. Dr. Omalu discovered clumps of tau proteins which, upon accumulation, impair brain function. Dr. Omalu's exhaustive work on the subject and his efforts to raise awareness of football-related brain injuries sparked the NFL to approve a medical timeout for athletes who are presenting symptoms of a concussion. This measure will be introduced later this month.
CONTACT: Bryan C. Singh, Office (916) 319-2007