Congress is full of dysfunction, discord and disgust these days, but maybe after all this shutdown business gets resolved, everyone can agree on improving sports safety protocols in schools across the country.
With all the commotion leading up to the shutdown, you might have missed an encouraging development in the push for concussion prevention. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D) has introduced the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act.
The act says states would need to “develop concussion safety guidelines for public school districts that include posting educational information on school grounds and school websites about concussion symptoms, risks and recommended responses for student athletes, parents, coaches and school officials."
The NFL, NBA and MLB were among the sports organizations that are supporting the bill.
"Young athletes are at the greatest risk for sports-related concussions, and we need to make sure we are doing all we can to protect them while they compete," Durbin said in a release.
Durbin isn't the first Illinois politician to put the spotlight on an important issue in youth sports. State Senator Napoleon Harris, a former Northwestern football star, created an insurance plan for student-athletes that became state law in August.
