It’s estimated that emergency rooms statewide see between 1,500 and 2,500 youth athlete concussion cases each year. A bill aimed at reducing that number continues to make its way through the Colorado legislature.
Senate Bill 11-40 would require coaches of youth sports to undergo annual training to recognize the signs of concussion – and remove a player from a game if they suffer a concussion or show symptoms of one.
The bill is also known as the Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act. It’s so named after a freshman football player from Grandview High who died during a game in 2004 from “Second Impact Syndrome” stemming from a concussion he suffered in a game a week prior.
The bill passed in the House and Health and Environment Committee with unanimous support. It’s also passed a similar committee in the Senate.