WASHINGTON -- Doctors told lawmakers Thursday that student-athletes risk altered lives and permanent brain damage if schools don't protect them from the effects of blows to the head.
A House committee grappling with how best to safeguard young athletes also heard from an NFL player who recently retired because of post-concussion problems; a mother whose son, a University of Pennsylvania football player with brain damage, committed suicide; and a high school girl unable to keep up with her classes since suffering a concussion on the soccer field.
Education and Labor Committee chairman George Miller, D-Calif., cited estimates of 300,000 sports-related concussions a year. The actual number, if recreational and playground injuries are included, is far higher, he said, and many go unreported, partly because athletes want to stay on the field and may not know the risks.
Miller has introduced legislation that would require school districts to develop plans for concussion safety and management and increase student and parent awareness of their dangers. Schools also would have to provide support for students recovering from concussions.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5608373
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