On June 16, 2011, North Carolina governor Bev Perdue signed the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act [1], adding the state to the list of twenty-four states* that have enacted strong youth sports concussion safety laws since the first such law went into effect in Washington state in May 2009.
Looking on as Governor Perdue signed the bill were the families of Matt Gfeller, a 15-year old, two-way starter (linebacker and offensive guard), as a sophomore at R.J. Reynolds High in Winston-Salem, who died in August 2008 after suffering a catastrophic brain injury during a game, and Jaquan Waller, a JH Rose High School football player who died after suffering two head injuries in a week that same year.
The law, which covers all middle schools and high school interscholastic sports, provides as follows:
In an interview with MomsTeam's Brooke de Lench, Matt Gfeller's father, Bob, called the law's signing a "very bright day for the state of North Carolina [and] for the future safety of all student athletes, girls and boys alike. We feel both great about the new law and blessed that it is part of Matt's legacy to those players who follow him onto the field."
"Each component of the law is an important turning point for player safety," Gfeller said. "The key difference between before [Matt's death] and after is the simple fact that these ideas are no longer just guidelines, they are now the law, to be followed 100%. This insures that the right people do the right things for the student athletes from pre-season to game time. Very important and powerful."
Asked what he wanted other parents to know about student athlete safety, Gfeller (pictured with his wife, Bev, and the Waller family) said, "Parents need to be more knowledgeable about the issues and the risks and the facts. ... to be better informed about symptoms [2], prevention and treatment of concussions. Parents need to know that no question is a bad question when it comes to the safety of their child in sports."
His advice: "Be bold, study and get the answers you think you need."
* As of January 2, 2012, the number of states that have enacted sports concussion safety laws stands at 31 and the District of Columbia.
Links:
[1] http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H792v4.pdf
[2] https://momsteam.com/node/149
[3] https://momsteam.com/node/3289
[4] https://momsteam.com/node/128
[5] https://momsteam.com/node/800
[6] https://momsteam.com/health-safety/every-state-has-youth-sports-concussion-safety-law
[7] https://momsteam.com/health-safety/return-to-play/concussion-return-to-play-step-by-step-approach-recommended
[8] https://momsteam.com/health-safety/no-same-day-return-play-after-concussion