New Law in New York Schools Aims to Protect Student Athletes

Schools in New York will be required to have specific procedures to deal with student athletes who sustain serious head injuries. 

The Concussion Management and Awareness Act makes it mandatory for all school officials to receive training on brain injuries. It also requires student athletes who sustain a head injury to get written permission from a physician before returning to the field. State Senator Tony Avella, who co-sponsored the law, says this act will help to ensure that student athletes get the proper care. 

"The students get injured, but they think they're fine, they continue to play, and that only makes their condition worse. This [Concussion Management and Awareness Act] sets up a procedure by which the school officials have to be really aware of what is going on," he said. 

In 2011, a Colorado high school football player passed away after sustaining serious head trauma on the field. Senator Avella says this legislation can potentially save lives.

"You can die from a concussion if you don't get proper treatment. Often times many individuals, and this can go for adults as well, do not know if they've had a concussion," he said. 

According to a recent study from the Universite de Montreal, teens are more at risk than adults to develop serious brain damage from concussions.