March 29th marked that date that Colorado became the state with the most sweeping law creating guidelines to protect young Coloradoans in the event of a head injury during organized youth athletic events. Colorado Senate Bill 40, also known as the “Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act”, requires that coaches of youths between the ages of 11 and under 19 take a free annual concussion recognition education course. This course is designed to teach these coaches how to recognize the signs of a concussion; what steps to follow if a concussion is suspected in a young athlete; and immediately remove that athlete for the game, competition or practice. The athlete will not be allowed to return to the practice or competition until he or she is evaluated and receives written clearance to play from a health care provider.
Jake Snakenberg, the individual who the CO Senate Bill 40 is named, was a young high school athlete who died in 2004 after being hit in a football game. It is suspected that the injury was compounded by a previous concussion that he suffered which was never diagnosed. Governor John Hickenlooper signed the law on March 29th with Kelli Jantz, Jake’s mother, near by. Colorado Senate Bill 40 will take effect January 1, 2012.
Though Colorado is not the first state to enact such a law protecting its youth in the event of a head injury during organized sports, it is the most far reaching. Not only does this bill cover activities during organized athletics in public and private schools, but also organized athletics such as Little League. These types of youth injuries have received national attention in recent years, so it is not surprising that these laws are being enacted. Colorado follows a number of states that have enacted this type of law including Oregon, Maine, Idaho, New Jersey and Massachusetts. California and Nebraska are working on laws now that are making their way through Assemblies.
One of the biggest proponents of these laws is the National Football League (NFL). The NFL has either endorsed these state laws or have assisted in drafting the legislation. Most of the information regarding the long term effects of a concussion received during football has come from the NFL, but what is not very well researched is the long term effects of these types of injuries on a young brain. Hopefully these laws will eliminate future, premature deaths among young athletes.