Where We Are Now: No state law requires baseline testing of high school athletes.

Where We Can Go: Somewhere a lot better than the "now."

Back in 2013, Michigan became the thirty-ninth state to enact legislation governing sports concussions and return to activity. It requires that coaches, employees, and other adults involved in youth sports programs complete online concussion awareness training. It also requires that when an athlete is suspected to have a concussion, that athlete must be removed immediately and can only return with a health professional's written clearance. All states have some form of laws addressing concussions in high school sports, but many are quite feeble because they are reactive rather than proactive. Sports concussion law does improve young athletes' safety, but honestly, more should be done so we can understand brain trauma in sports to better prevent it from happening in the first place.

This is where Michigan may be onto something!

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