Assemblymember McCarty (D-Sacramento) announced the Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2007, which will require youth sports participants to undergo the same safety protocols as high school athletes in order to protect them from injury.
“Sports are embedded in our culture and we must ensure that our youth athletes, coaches, and parents are aware of the severity of a concussion,” said Assemblymember McCarty. “I thank the Governor for protecting youth athletes and taking appropriate steps to prevent serious injury.”
“This bill places California at the forefront of improving concussion management at the youth sports level,” said Mike Chisar, governmental affairs committee chair for the California Athletics Trainers’ Association. “We’re pleased that the Governor signed this legislation. It will help ensure the appropriate steps are taken so our coaches, parents and athletes are educated on the signs and symptoms of concussion, and help minimize the risk of serious injury.”
Sports-related concussion became a national topic when Dr. Bennett Omalu, an epidemiologist at UC Davis, reported on the results of an examination of the brain of a former football player. Dr. Omalu discovered clumps of tau proteins which, upon accumulation, impair brain function. Also, in a recent study released by the Medical Journal of Pediatrics, youth soccer concussions and head injuries have increased 1,600 percent between 1990 and 2014. AB 2007 will require youth sports leagues to follow certain concussion protocols. This bill takes effect on January 1, 2017.
