BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1646
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 24, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 1646 (Hayashi) - As Amended: February 11, 2010
SUBJECT : High school athletics: training for coaches.
SUMMARY : Adds new requirements to the California High School
Coaching Education and Training Program for training on
recognizing and managing the signs and symptoms of potentially
catastrophic injuries; emergency action planning; communicating
effectively with 911 emergency services; and, requires high
school sports coaches to complete a coaching education program
by December 31, 2011. Specifically, this bill :
1)Adds new requirements to the California High School Coaching
Education and Training Program for training on:
a) Recognizing and managing the signs and symptoms of
potentially catastrophic injuries, including, but not
limited to, head and neck injuries, concussions, second
impact syndrome, asthma attacks, heatstroke, and cardiac
arrest;
b) Emergency action planning; and,
c) Communicating effectively with 911 emergency services.
2)Requires each high school sports coach to complete a coaching
education program developed by his or her school district or
the California Interscholastic Federation that meets the
guidelines set forth in Section 35179.1 by December 31, 2011.
3)Adds Legislative findings and declarations related to the
seriousness of concussions and how the competitive athletic
culture of playing through pain can put athletes at serious
risk.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the California High School Coaching Education and
Training Program and Legislative intent that the program
emphasize the following components:
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a) Development of coaching philosophies consistent with the
goals of the school, school district, and school district
governing board.
b) Sport psychology.
c) Sport pedagogy.
d) Sport physiology including principles of training and
the harmful effects associated with the use of steroids.
e) Sport management.
f) Training certification in CPR and first aid.
g) Knowledge of and adherence to statewide rules and
regulations, as well as school regulations including, but
not necessarily limited to, eligibility, gender equity, and
discrimination.
h) Sound planning and goal setting. (Education Code
35179.1)
2)Requires each high school sports coach to complete a coaching
education program developed by his or her school district or
the California Interscholastic Federation that meets the
guidelines set forth in Section 35179.1 by December 31, 2008.
(Education Code 49032)
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, in an analysis on a substantially similar bill,
potential General Fund/Proposition 98 state reimbursable
mandated costs, likely between $183,000 and $458,000, to school
districts to pay for the cost of a coach attending the training
program. While the bill does require that each high school
coach is responsible for the cost of the course, it is not
unreasonable to assume that as part of their employment
contracts with school districts high school coaches are
reimbursed for the cost of training.
COMMENTS : This bill requires additional training for high
school sports coaches on recognizing and managing the signs and
symptoms of potentially catastrophic injuries, including, head
and neck injuries, concussions, second impact syndrome, asthma
attacks, heatstroke, and cardiac arrest in addition to training
on emergency action planning and, communicating effectively with
911 emergency services. Existing training programs for coaches
are required to provide training on CPR and first aid and the
current CIF training provides some training with regard to
concussions. Existing law does not specifically require
training on head and neck injuries, asthma, heatstroke and
cardiac arrest.
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Currently CIF offers training programs to high school coaches
who receive a certificate upon course completion (typically an
eight hour class). To date more than 60,000 coaches have taken
the training, which costs approximately $60 per person. Some
school districts pay for the program while others require the
coach to pay for it. The completed certificate is transferable
between school districts.
According to a nationwide study published in the Journal of
Athletic Training, football has the highest rate of concussions
in high school sports with 47 concussions occurring per 100,000
player games or practices. Girl's soccer has the second highest
rate of concussions in high school sports with 36 concussions
occurring per 100,000 player games or practices. Boys soccer
and girls basketball have the third and fourth highest rate of
concussions in high school sports with 22 and 21 concussions per
100,000 player games or practices, respectively. In the sport
of football alone, since 1997, at least 50 high school or
younger athletes have been killed or sustained serious head
injuries on the field.
The National Federation of State High School Associations
reports that participation in high school sports continues to
increase, with more than 7 million high school students
participating in 2005-2006. Concussions are a serious and
growing public health issue for athletes involved in contact
sports - an estimated 300,000 sport-related traumatic brain
injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the
United States. Even more troubling, studies show as many as 20%
of all high school football players sustain concussions
annually.
According to the author, what may appear to be a minor blow to
the head can have serious, even fatal, consequences. Emerging
studies indicate that high school athletes are at risk of
suffering from sleep disorders, memory loss, mental fatigue,
depression or even suicide as a result of head injuries
sustained in sports. While not all head injuries can be
prevented, the effects can be mitigated by knowing when it is
safe to return to play.
Scientific studies have raised concerns about the long-term
impacts of head injuries in sports. Although most headlines
focus on the deterioration of major football stars, youth are
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also gravely at risk because of their developing brains.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), upwards of 3
million sports- and recreation- related concussions occur in the
United States each year. Football is the leading cause for high
school males, and soccer for females.
Concussions can occur in any sport and all concussions are
serious. Concussions are often difficult to identify because
they can occur without loss of consciousness. A repeat
concussion that occurs before the brain recovers from the
first-usually within a short period of time can result in brain
swelling, permanent brain damage, and even death. According to
the CDC, this condition is called second impact syndrome (SIS).
The American College of Sports Medicine estimated last year that
85% of all concussions among high school athletes go
undiagnosed, meaning many high school athletes are exposing
themselves to the risk of SIS.
Related legislation : AB 1893 (Hayashi) from 2010, would require,
beginning July 1, 2011, all high school spirit activities (HSSA)
coaches to have a valid certification in CPR and first aid; and,
establishes several requirements for HSSA coaches and pupils
including, but not limited to requiring pupils participating in
HSSA to have an annual medical examination and receive proper
training, and requiring HSSA coaches to develop an emergency
plan, as specified. This bill is scheduled to be heard by the
Assembly Education Committee on March 24, 2010.
Previous legislation : AB 533 (Hayashi) from 2009, would have
added new requirements to the California High School Coaching
Education and Training Program for training on recognizing and
managing the signs and symptoms of potentially catastrophic
injuries; emergency action planning; communicating effectively
with 911 emergency services; and, required high school sports
coaches to complete a coaching education program by December 31,
2010. The bill was held on the Assembly Appropriations Suspense
File.
AB 2741 (Miller) Chapter 744, Statutes of 1998, established the
1998 California High School Coaching and Education Program to be
administered by school districts and to emphasize, among other
things, sport psychology, sport pedagogy, sport physiology, CPR,
and first aid.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
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Support
California Athletic Trainers' Association
California Brain Injury Association
California Chapters of the American Red Cross
California Chiropractic Association
California Medical Association
Consumer Attorneys of California
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087