Concussions in sports are a growing issue as well as finding adequate ways to protect our children on the field. Whether a concussion results in severe damage or prevents an individual from playing the game they love, finding a safe solution is a necessity for athletic departments and organize sport organizations. The NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) recently published an article on the Top Ten Sports Law Issues Impacting School Athletics Programs regarding the topic of sport law topics and the legal claims the occur as a result. NFHS set the direction for sport and activity standards as well as rules for high school associations.
The top two on their list include:
- Concussion Management and Return-To-Play Protocols
On January 30, 2014, the governor of Mississippi signed into law the Mississippi Youth Concussion Act. All 50 states and the District of Columbia now have a sports concussion law in place. Most of the state laws contain three common tenets: 1) any athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion must immediately be removed from play; 2) the athlete may not be returned to action the same day; and 3) the athlete may be returned to action only after written clearance is provided by a licensed health-care professional (the definition of which varies widely from state-to-state).
- Liability for Sports Injuries and the Duties of Athletics Personnel
Since the mid-1990s, hundreds of civil suits per year have been filed by injured student-athletes against schools, administrators and athletics personnel, most asserting a negligent failure to exercise reasonable care to safeguard the health and well-being of the athlete. Out of these cases has emerged an extensive body of law focusing on the need for athletics personnel to understand the legal responsibilities imposed on them with regard to student-athletes, including the duties of planning, supervision, technique instruction, warnings, safe playing environment, safe equipment, matching and equating athletes, evaluation of injuries, return-to-action protocols, immediate medical response, emergency medical response planning, safe transportation, and other categories of responsibilities intended to protect athletes from injury. Click here to read the full article…
With a higher risk-related activity to a child’s health and overall well-being, an institution runs the risk of law suits. By not cutting corners and providing athletes with adequate headgear, such as GameBreaker custom wrestling headgear or soccer helmets, organizations can reduce the risk associated with head-related injuries. Learn more about Gamebreaker and what our products can provide your team.