I would like to urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass Rep. Briggs' legislation (H.B. 200) to make sure that we better manage concussions that happen in youth sports and increase awareness regarding their seriousness. Rep. Briggs' bill would require that if a player sustains a concussion or brain injury, they could not return to play unless cleared by a licensed health care provider. I believe this is a crucial step in protecting our children from the debilitation injuries that can happen when they return to play too quickly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, as many as 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur nationally each year, and for Pennsylvania the figure could be as high as 156,000 concussions per year. One recent study found that while 15 percent of high school football players reported having concussion symptoms during the football season, only 47 percent of those players reported those symptoms to a school or team official.

This measure would require a student's parent or guardian to annually sign a concussion and head injury information sheet prior to the student's participating in practice or competition. I believe that parents should be properly informed about the seriousness of concussions because increased awareness is the best way to prevent serious injury and make sure that the athletes speak up when they are hurt.

Protect our sons and daughters: pass H.B. 200 now! ( Click here to see who already signed the petition.)

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