New rules to govern how coaches and parents handle concussions sustained by Pennsylvania student athletes are closer to being enacted following passage in the state House.
The House voted unanimously on Wednesday in favor of the Safety in Youth Sports Act, which would require coaches to remove students from games if they exhibit signs of a concussion or traumatic brain injury.
The measure returns to the Senate, and Gov. Tom Corbett says he's likely to sign it if it makes it to his desk.
The departments of Health and Education would develop guidelines to limit when injured students would be allowed to return to the playing field, and an appropriate medical professional would have to sign off on the return.
The Safety in Youth Sports Act proposal also would require coaches to undergo training and give parents and student-athletes more information about the risks of brain injuries.
Glenda White, a woman from the Harrisburg suburbs, recalled for The Patriot-News how her daughter Elaina hurt her head during a field hockey game two years ago, but stayed in and played three more games despite a severe headache.
When the symptoms did not go away, she was evaluated by a specialist in concussions. White supports the bill.
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“At the time, I'd always heard from the coaches: ‘Suck it up, go on,’” White told the paper. “I almost felt ashamed as a parent that I didn't recognize the seriousness of it, and I do think that
people need to be educated on what this is really about."
Coaches who act according to the law would be immune from civil liability, but if they violate its provisions they could get suspended or eventually banned from coaching.
A version passed the Senate unanimously in June, but was amended in the House, so it must be reconsidered by the state Senate.
