The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

State News

Discussion

February 9, 2010

Missouri: Lawmakers consider youth concussion legislation

The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Young Missouri athletes who suffer concussions would not be allowed to return to practice or games without written medical clearance under legislation proposed in the state House.

Growing attention to the long-term risks of concussions for professional athletes has Missouri lawmakers joining those in at least a half-dozen states seeking to require the benching of injured younger players, for whom the dangers of a concussion are even greater.

Missouri’s measure — aimed at high school athletes — would require players be kept out of practices and games until cleared by a licensed health care worker trained in evaluating and managing concussions. Athletes and their families also would need to be provided information about concussions and head injuries.

Sponsoring Rep. Don Calloway, D-St. Louis, told a House health care committee Tuesday that his legislation would protect athletes who suffer brain injuries by ensuring they’re healthy enough to play. Calloway said he’s considering expanding it to all youth sports.

The measure is modeled after a Washington state law that applies to all youth sports. Washington’s policy is named after teenager Zackery Lystedt, who suffered a debilitating brain injury in 2006 when he returned to a football game shortly after suffering a concussion.

Professional teams are paying more attention to concussions. The National Football League has implemented stricter return-to-play rules and the National Hockey League is considering restrictions on hits to the head.

Dr. Stan Herring is a physician for the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners professional teams who assisted in passing Washington’s law after treating Lystedt. He said media attention has made people more aware of concussions.

“How many times did you watch Tim Tebow get concussed?” Herring said. “That kind of exposure has raised everyone’s awareness.”

The Brain Injury Association of America estimates up to 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year.

Concussions in young athletes generally take longer to heal than in adults. Teens or children who return to competition while still recovering from a concussion risk an even greater second injury, which can lead to serious disability or death.

Tom Martin, president of the Brain Injury Association of Missouri, said athletes and their families now recognize the seriousness of a brain injury. But there is pressure on athletes to downplay symptoms, he said.

“It is difficult for the person who had the injury to look at it unbiasedly, and for coaches, their goal is to win games, so it’s difficult for them,” said Martin, director of adult neuropsychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association says players should not return the same day they suffer a concussion. The association also recommends athletes with three concussions in one season be benched for the rest of the season and kept out until after a thorough exam. Also, players who lose consciousness cannot return the same day as the injury without written medical permission.

“A win is nice,” said Fred Binggeli, an assistant executive director for the association, which governs high school sports statewide, “but why take a chance on rushing them back?”

Binggeli said the medical community and schools must work together to develop policies to protect young athletes.

Kerwin Urhahn, the activities association’s executive director, told lawmakers the organization has been studying concussion policies and will provide further guidance to coaches and schools. Urhahn also said that starting in the 2010-2011 school year, players will be barred from returning the same day they show signs of concussions — regardless of whether they lose consciousness.

In Washington state, Herring said most coaches and athletic directors he has spoken with are relieved they no longer have to decide when an injured player returns. The mandatory benching requirement there has no penalty for violators, but he said most have erred toward keeping athletes out when there is doubt.

“Return-to-play after a concussion is a medical decision and simply stating that legally makes it so,” Herring said. “It allows the coach to be relieved of that burden. It allows the athletic director to be relieved. It doesn’t allow a parent who might be overly zealous to put their son or daughter back too quickly.”

Text Only
State News
  • Lions climb into share of MIAA men's basketball lead

    Without taking the floor, Missouri Southern has climbed into a first-place tie in the MIAA men’s basketball race.

    February 22, 2012

  • 2.6 magnitude earthquake recorded in Oklahoma

    The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded a 2.6 magnitude earthquake near Wellston in central Oklahoma.
    No injuries or damage is reported.

    January 19, 2011

  • Audit: $108,000 taken from Missouri Veterans Commission JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A former employee of the state auditor’s office embezzled nearly $108,000 while working as an accountant for the Missouri Veterans Commission, the state auditor alleged Monday.

    Stacy Griffin-Lowery was fired by the Veterans Commission in March 2008 and pleaded guilty three months later to a misdemeanor theft charge. She repaid the state $17,665, the auditor’s office said.

    But Missouri Auditor Susan Montee on Monday accused Griffin-Lowery of swiping an additional $90,192 by getting reimbursed for cash advances and purchases made on her personal credit card.

    April 12, 2010

  • Race in Kansas’ 2nd District could heat up for GOP incumbent TOPEKA, Kan. — A conservative Kansas legislator said Monday he will announce in a few weeks whether he will challenge freshman U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins in the Republican primary.

    State Sen. Dennis Pyle’s actions in recent months suggest the Hiawatha farmer, who’s served in the Legislature since 2001, is running against Jenkins in the Aug. 2 primary. He set up a campaign organization in November and has a Web site featuring a brief video of him on his farm, asking viewers for support.

    April 12, 2010

  • Oklahoma tea party leaders, lawmakers envision militia OKLAHOMA CITY — Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

    Tea party movement leaders say they’ve discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force

    April 12, 2010

  • Missouri: Senate panel cuts $500 million from proposed budget JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Senate committee declared Thursday that it has sliced more than $500 million from Missouri’s proposed budget for next year — meeting a target set by Gov. Jay Nixon to bring it in balance.

    April 8, 2010

  • Kansas: Wichita-area casino in doubt after governor’s decision TOPEKA, Kan. — A proposed casino south of Wichita was in doubt Thursday after Gov. Mark Parkinson refused to grant its developers a regulatory reprieve. Partners in the $225 million Chisholm Creek project wanted to delay a state board’s decision on their plans.

    April 8, 2010

  • Oklahoma: Groups oppose education spending initiative OKLAHOMA CITY — A coalition of business and labor groups said Thursday it will work to defeat a ballot initiative to dramatically increase spending on public education that coalition members said would devastate the budgets of many other state services and possibly force tax increases.

    April 8, 2010

  • Missouri: Gov. Nixon affirms support for tuition freeze COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has no plans to sit idly while lawmakers consider whether to preserve a tuition freeze deal he assembled before the state’s dire financial status was fully known.

    April 7, 2010

  • Kansas: Agency uses YouTube to illustrate road woes TOPEKA, Kan. — It’s one thing to hear about potholes and state budgets. It’s another to see how the two are connected. That’s part of the thinking behind a new video presentation on YouTube this week from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

    April 7, 2010