Become a Key Contact to Help Advocate for Youth Concussion Issues
On Jan. 4, the House Judiciary Committee held its second hearing on football head injuries in Detroit, Mich. Gaining front-page coverage in the New York Times’ sports section, the topic commanded attention and highlighted a renewed call to action to ensure athletes of all ages and playing levels are evaluated by a medical professional before returning to play and risking long-term damage from multiple head injuries. Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided a free toolkit for high school coaches on concussion identification and treatment, additional action is needed. Click here to order a free copy of the toolkit or view online.

During the Congressional field hearing, Bob Colgate, Assistant Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, noted that not all high schools have medical care on hand for football games and practices. USA Football referenced ACSM’s involvement with the Lystedt law and commitment to safety in youth sports in its testimony to the House Judiciary committee, noting that “…the American College of Sports Medicine has joined forces with the Washington State partners to advocate for similar laws in other states.” As previously reported in SMB, ACSM has been tracking these issues and advocating for increased attention and further federal action regarding appropriate care for concussions in youth sports. Please contact ACSM policy staff at policy@acsm.org if you are interested in supporting these issues through ACSM’s Key Contact program. With your help, ACSM will be able to recruit enough Key Contacts across the nation – hopefully in every congressional district – to provide relevant and necessary information to all members of Congress. As a professional in the field of sports medicine and preventive care, lending your voice to these issues will be invaluable in spurring legislative action down the road.