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SB 149: Concussion, Young Athletes, and Bonehead Legislation

Senate Bill 149 tackles the problem of kids getting concussions in sports. Senator Todd Schlekeway's bill would write into law "guidelines to inform and educate member schools, coaches, athletes, and the parents or guardians of athletes, of the nature and risk of concussion." High school athletes and their parents or guardians would have to sign a concussion information sheet. SB 149 mandates (but does not fund) annual training for coaches in concussions. It requires pulling athletes from games if they show any sign or symptom of a concussion. SB 149 also imposes these same requirements on "any youth athletic activity sponsored by a city, business, or nonprofit organization." Little League, local soccer, that means you, too.

This legislation appears to include the tennis, golf, and cross-country coaches, whose athletes suffer minimal risk of such injuries. SB 149 excludes non-athletic activities: debate coaches, if a briefcase falls on your champ debater's head, you can give her a ten-count and still send her into the final round to fight for the trophy.

Oddly, Senate Bill 149 does not address any other injury that may afflict young athletes. Strains, sprains, pulled groin---keep playing 'til you fall and can't get up, right? Are concussions somehow uniquely the purview of the Legislature?

I do see some debaters wearing awfully high heels: would Senator Schlekeway care to get co-sponsor Shantel Krebs to give state-mandated training in walking in high heels to avoid ankle injury?

Senate Majority Leader Russell Olson, a well-known opponent of going to Pierre and creating a bunch of new laws, wants to look into creating some new laws on concussions:

"I want to learn more about [concussions in sports]. I probably suffered from it, playing high school football back in Eagan [sic]. So I want to learn more about it and see what we need to do," said (R) Senator Russell Olson, Senate Majority Leader.

"We certainly don't want our high school students suffering long term affects of getting their brains damaged," said [Senator Tim] Rave [Melissa Payne, "SD Legislators Discuss New Concussion Protocol," KDLT, 2011.01.20].

You're right, Tim, we don't... because those students might grow up to be Senate Majority Leader.

I agree that coaches should know how to recognize concussions and protect their athletes. I might also suggest that maybe we should direct fewer tax dollars toward activities with such high risk of permanent brain damage and instead encourage more kids toward lifelong recreation activities like running, golf, and tennis. Maybe we should also encourage more kids to join debate, where the only reason kids' heads hurt is because they are thinking so hard.

But SB 149 seems misdirected. Either the state should leave such matters to the Activities Association, local school districts, and Little League groups (come on, Republicans! Where's the nanny-state outcry?), or the state should be issuing guidelines for training in, protection from, and treatment of all sports-related maladies for which our children are at risk.

Oh yeah, and we should also be passing a budget so schools know how much money they'll have available to carry out all this training... or whether they'll have money for football helmets at all.

6 Comments

  1. Bob Klein 2011.01.30

    I think I can find at least one person in Sen. Schlekeway's lineage who spent years and years on school payrolls while caring a great deal about athletics and nearly nothing about academics or, frankly other activities. So he comes by it honestly.

  2. sdjack 2011.01.30

    "You’re right, Tim, we don’t… because those students might grow up to be Senate Majority Leader."
    Too Funny.

  3. Bob Klein 2011.01.30

    I just visited the Decorum Forum and was reminded that this should also apply to Rodeo as long as the sponsors are so vastly concerned about concussions. No sense limiting it to schools.

  4. Jim Hock 2011.01.30

    There's nothing wrong with having people informed that a concussion might be possible in the normal activities of a sport. Concussions are one of the next big things that are coming down from the pros to amateur sports. It's a hot button issue in the NFL, and was even featured on one of the new shows on CBS earlier this season.
    A joint resolution recognizing this as an issue and applied to all amateur sports would be better than an unfunded law. Like others have said we have enough laws. Unless you can give me the money to make sure I can follow the law you want to pass, you shouldn't be making it (unless it wouldn't require money to follow it). The law that says I have to wear a seat belt in my car doesn't cost me any more money to follow, just getting in the habit of doing it.

  5. Brett Hoffman 2011.01.30

    I have to say that I'm normally no fan of Republican policies, but I don't see any problem in trying to draw more attention to the destructive long-term effects of concussions, especially multiple concussions. The other injuries you mention--muscle sprains or broken bones--get plenty of attention because the effect is obvious and immediate.

    It might be better if there were more kids in debate rather than football, but the truth is that football isn't going away anytime soon, so we might as well get serious about the possible health effects of playing a game a lot of our children are involved in. The real effects of concussions are just now beginning to be understood and taken seriously. Of course, funding for the training should be included in the bill.

  6. mike 2011.01.30

    I agree on the mandate without funding part but as for the rest and the bill on its merits I agree. Also Schlekeway is a top notch individual who is honest and hard working. I don't know if I know a person in Pierre more interested in helping others.

    I wouldn't be surprised if he was the guy to take the Congressional job after Noem is through (he is in a much bigger league that Jarrod Johnson, Shantel Krebs - and Dusty seems to be burning a lot of bridges running around the capitol like he is already the Governor. Schlekeway is smart and well spoken and isn't an ambitious use people and lose'em type. I think he comes across as very genuine from my experiences.

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