Increase in High School Football Participation

Source: sadlersports.com - Increase in High School Football Participation
Author: John M. Sadler

Concussion education and laws helping to boost the numbers

In previous posts we’ve discussed the impact media attention on concussions may have on the future of youth football.  Some people have gloomily predicted an end to the sport. However, after a five-year nationwide decline in high school football participation, an increase in 2013 has been reported by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Educating parents and coaches on concussion diagnosis and return to play and new concussion laws being enacted in every state and the District of Columbia have no doubt played a significant role in the increase.  During the 2013-14 school year, there were 6,607 more boys and 184 more girls participating in football over the previous year.

Parents are apparently measuring benefits of participating with the chances of an injury and deciding that the precautions now in place have lowered the risk of injury to an acceptable level, according to Davis Whitfield, the N.C. High School Athletic Association commissioner.  The NFSHS enacted several rule changes, such as where players line up on kickoffs and anyone losing a helmet during play is required to leave and not return until it has been properly secured. And many state associations have limited the amount of contact in practices.

Ongoing concerns

Despite the growing awareness and positive changes in protocols, not all the news is good. Four high school football players died during the 2013 season from head injuries. And several high profile former NFL players have expressed concerns about having their own children play football.

In North Carolina, the deaths of two high school players in 2008 were the impetus for passing the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act. That state law says that all public middle and high schools must provide concussion education to coaches, parents and players, develop emergency action plans, and to have post-concussion protocol in place to be followed as to when players with suspected injuries can resume play or practice.

However, violations of the law are occurring, but there are no penalties attached to it. An state audit of the found that high schools in 13 of the state’s 115 districts weren’t in compliance, most for not posting emergency action plans. There’s no reason to think other states aren’t experiencing similar violation issues.

The NCHSAA is proposing fines and other penalties for non-compliance. The commissioner cited violating return-to-play protocol could carry a fine and failure to get a parental concussion education form signed would mean the player is ineligible to play.

Looking ahead

Only 13 states have concussion laws covering all youth sports, while most cover just high school and middle school athletics.  Advocates of stronger protocols say that expanding concussion laws to include any youth teams and leagues using public fields should be the standard for all states.

Please see our other articles on concussion risks, research and prevention.

Source: Tim Stevens, “Participation in high school football increases despite concussion risk,” newsobserver.com. 03 Jan. 2015

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Rest Time for Youth Following a Concussion

Source: sadlersports.com - Rest Time for Youth Following a Concussion
Author: Sadler Copywriter

How long is long enough? or too long?

It’s now common knowledge that rest from school and other activities is the recommended protocol for young concussion patients. But the new question is how much rest is beneficial to the healing process. Some experts are saying that less is more.

Doctors and scientists are divided in their opinions as to how much rest is best for injured youngsters. Some recommend 24 to 48 hours, while others say longer is required.

Results from a recent study led by Danny G. Thomas, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin show that the patients resting for five days reported more physical symptoms such as nausea and headaches. They also exhibited more emotional symptoms over the course of 10 days, such as irritability and sadness.

The study looked at 88 concussed patients ages 11 to 22 who sought treatment at the emergency room of Children’s Hospital. Those whose doctors prescribed strict rest for five days reported more symptoms than those told to rest only one or two days. The patients resting longer also had slower recovery times than the patients prescribed with less rest time.

None of the patients in the study were admitted to the hospital and researchers say the findings don’t apply to patients with severe brain injuries.

Participants of the study rated their symptoms every day, took computerized and paper exams to test their brain function, and had their ability to balance measured. Researchers saw no difference in brain function or ability to balance among the patients.

There may be consequences to unnecessarily restricting of activities, suggests Gerard Gioia, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington. Prolonged rest could cause students to worry about falling behind in schoolwork and being apart from their friends. This could result in anxiety or mood changes, according to Gioia.

Obviously a too-early return to normal activity is an invitation for a second injury. Concussion patients should be under the care of a doctor who specializes in concussions. For more information on returning to activities following a concussion, we encourage you to read “Skip Practice, and the Books, following a Concussion” and our other concussion-related articles.

Source: Catherine Saint Louis, “Limiting Rest Is Found to Help Young Concussion Patients,” nytimes,com. Share05 Jan. 2015

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Most Youth Sports Organizations Don"t Have 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status

Source: sadlersports.com - Most Youth Sports Organizations Don"t Have 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status
Author: John M. Sadler

Don’t assume yours does

According to Kids Non Profits USA, 75 percent of all youth sports organizations qualify for Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) status, but fail to apply for it as required by federal law. Unfortunately, many sports organizations have been under the mistaken belief for many years that they were tax exempt under federal law.

Below are the most common reasons that many sports organizations mistakenly believe that they are 501(c)(3) tax exempt:

• On their application for a Federal Employer Identification Number, they indicate that they were a nonprofit and thought that this was all that was required.


• They received state nonprofit corporation status, but they neglected to apply for federal 501(c)(3) status as a tax exempt organization.


• The assumed that they were automatically tax exempt as a volunteer-run organization.


• They assumed that the prior administrators properly applied for tax-exempt status many years ago.

The benefits of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are as follows:

• Exempts the sports organization from paying federal income taxes


• Allow a federal tax deduction for donors of cash, property, or equipment.

The risk of not properly applying for 501(c)(3) tax exempt status are as follows:

• Sports organization is responsible for filing and paying federal and state income taxes as a taxable business.


• The sports organization is subject to federal and state penalties as well as back taxes.


• Donors may have taken improper tax deductions on their personal tax returns thinking that the sports organization was tax-exempt.

In addition,  the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of some 250,000 organizations in 2010 for failure to file an annual information return for the three prior years. Such organizations are required to refile for tax-exempt status.

Directors & Officers liability policies may cover certain lawsuits alleging that managerial negligence led to loss of tax-exempt status and resulting damages. However, such insurance should not be relied upon due to common policy exclusions for knowing violation of the law.

Kids Non Profits USA offers a special 501(c)(3) application package starting at $399 (plus an IRS application fee).

Source: knpusa.org

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