Michigan Concussion Law Now Requires More Training
(WWJ) - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that the state sports concussion law now requires more training for coaches involved in youth sports.
The law now requires coaches and any other adults involved in youth sports to complete an online training seminar every three years, as opposed to doing it just once.
"This will allow for if there's any new recommendations, new protocols, any new research on concussions, this will allow the training to be updated so everyone has the most current information," MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin said.
The concussion law already requires youth sports organizers to provide educational materials to athletes and parents that show the signs and symptoms of a concussion. The law also requires the immediate removal of an athlete from the participation in an athletic activity if they are suspected of having a concussion in order to protect the safety and well-being of the student, Sutfin said.
Each year, U.S. emergency departments treat more than 170,000 sports and recreation-related concussions among children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A concussion is a serious brain injury caused by a blow, bump or intense jolt to the head. It can happen in any sport or recreational activity. In 2013, Michigan became the 39th state to enact law regulating sports-related concussions. This new amendment was signed into law in October.