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For Immediate
Release
1/26/11
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Browne, Briggs Introduce Proposed Safety in
Youth Sports Act
NFL players and exec on hand with former
Tamaqua athlete to support measure to protect PA kids
HARRISBURG, Jan. 26 –
State Sen. Pat Browne and State Rep. Tim Briggs today held a
joint media event with the National Football League at the
Capitol to announce the introduction of their proposed Safety in
Youth Sports Act. Legislation will be introduced in both the
state House and Senate to better manage
concussions in youth sports and to increase awareness regarding
their seriousness
and the devastating, life-long effects they can cause.
Speaking at the news conference were a senior NFL executive,
former NFL players, a brain injury awareness advocate and a
former girls high school basketball player from Tamaqua who
shared her touching personal story.
"We all know that
concussions are nothing to shake off, and we need to make sure
we do everything we can to protect our student athletes from
serious injury," Briggs said. "I have been working hard on this
legislation for more than a year, and it has come a long way
from where we started. Thanks to discussions with statewide
medical associations, athletic groups and advocates, we have
been able to draft a bill that we can all be proud of."
The proposed Safety in Youth Sports Act (H.B. 200/S.B. 200) aims
to ensure that male and female student
athletes
who suffer concussions receive proper
care and
rest before they get back into the game. The bill states
that a player who shows symptoms of sustaining a concussion
would not be able to return to play until they are cleared by an
appropriate medical professional. It also would require students
and a parent or guardian to read and sign a concussion awareness
sheet so they are better informed about injuries that may be
sustained on the field.
"Certainly, and justifiably, there is now heightened public
awareness of the dramatic occurrence and consequences of head
trauma resulting from sports competition," Browne said. "The
media has done a great job in increasing public awareness of the
frequency and severity of concussions among athletes at all
levels – from professionals to scholastic teams.
"But, in the heat of battle, we all know there are some coaches
who will place winning over the welfare of their student
athletes or simply will let the student athlete make the call.
It is time for that to end," he added.
Joe Browne, senior advisor to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, spoke
in support the legislators' efforts to protect Pennsylvania
student athletes with the proposed youth sports safety plan.
"On behalf of the NFL, we thank Senator Browne and Representative
Briggs for their leadership on this issue of youth sports
concussions," Joe Browne said. "We believe their bills will help
raise awareness and protect young athletes -- both boys and
girls -- from the dangers of preventable brain injuries."
Joining Joe Browne in support of the legislation were two former
NFL players: Harold Carmichael and Mike Quick, former
Philadelphia Eagles. Jon Witman, a former Penn State Nittany
Lion and Pittsburgh Steeler, planned to attend the event but was
unable to due to inclement weather.
Mike Miller, vice president of the Brain Injury Association of
Pennsylvania, emphasized how the Safety in Youth Sports Act
would increase awareness and lead to better concussion
management across the state.
"It is our belief that by passing this legislation, coaches,
students and families would eventually be better equipped to
handle concussions wherever they occur," Miller said.
Closing the event was Tracy Yatsko, a former high school
basketball player from Tamaqua. In January 2005, Yatsko, now 23,
experienced a concussion on the court when she came down for a
rebound and her head collided with another player's. Instead of
seeking proper care, Yatsko continued to practice and play in a
game in the days immediately following her concussion. At the
end of the game, Yatsko collapsed in the locker room.
Yatsko spent the next six months in and out of the hospital, and
the recovery process since then has been filled with
debilitating migraines and doctors' visits. Her attempt to
attend college was unsuccessful because of her brain injury, and
the migraines have prevented her from holding down steady
employment.
"From post-traumatic stress, to severe depression, and even
suicidal thoughts, I've gone through it all in the past six
years," Yatsko said. "In the blink of an eye, I went from being
one of the top athletes in school to having my family help me do
the simplest things that we all take for granted."
But Yatsko has soldiered on and has been telling her story with
the hopes that it will help protect others from having to
experience what she has been through. She has recorded a
YouTube
Video
for the Centers for Disease Control, spoken at Lincoln Financial
Field last June
with Briggs and the Philadelphia Eagles
and today in support of Briggs and Browne's new legislation.
"This is why I am here today, asking for your help," Yatsko
said. "Representative Briggs and Senator Browne are doing an
amazing thing, and this bill is in a way giving my life a
purpose. I want all Pennsylvania student athletes to know how
important it is to get medical attention if they think they have
a concussion, because it's better to miss one game than miss
your whole life."
Attention now turns
to
the House and Senate,
where Briggs and Browne hope Yatsko's
message will help lead to swift passage of their legislation.
The legislators noted that in drafting the legislation they
consulted with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletics
Association, the Brain Injury Association, the Pennsylvania
Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society, the
Pennsylvania Physical Therapists Association, the Pennsylvania
Psychological Association and many others.
We
have been
very
encouraged by the support that
our effort has gained in the Capitol," Briggs said. "Senator
Browne and I are confident that we will soon
be successful in passing one of the
most comprehensive youth sport concussion
bills in the nation."
Briggs, a Democrat, represents the 149th Legislative District in
Montgomery County. For more information, visit
www.pahouse.com/Briggs.
Browne, a Republican, represents the 16th Senatorial District,
which includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe
counties. He also serves as Senate majority whip. For more
information, visit
http://senatorbrowne.com.
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