SportsHopes Highlights Winter 2011 High School to College Pathway Student-Athlete Support www.sportshopes.org Hello Community! “My grandfather drove a truck, so I’ve been around truck driving all of my life. I knew eventually I was going to have to work, and I didn’t have a degree….It’s a job right now. It keeps the bills paid and keeps food in your stomach. Making a living, honest living.” - Marcus Dupree, former NFL running back, on being employed as a truck driver after pro football. ESPN 30 For 30 film “The Best That Never Was” directed by Jonathan Hock http://30for30.espn.com Sports-Related Concussions: California AB25 Co-Sponsored by the NFL - Today’s high school and community college student-athletes work hard in their academics and athletics in order to move forward to four-year colleges and universities, and then from there to careers and self- sufficiency. The tough economic times haven’t made it any easier for them with cutbacks in education, healthcare and rising costs of living. The bright light throughout is there are a lot of people in community who are doing everything they can to help student-athletes Get There healthy, safe, educated and skilled. Recently I attended a Town Hall Meeting presented by California State Assemblymember Mary Hayashi’s office, in cooperation with the National Football League, and hosted by the Castro Valley Unified School District, on the topic of AB25 (California State Assembly Bill 25), a bill co-sponsored by the NFL that seeks to establish return-to-play guidelines for student-athletes who suffer a concussion during a practice or game. While football is the sport many consider reflective of high concussion rates it was startling to hear that women in the sports of soccer, basketball and hockey have higher rates of concussion. It was also startling to hear that over 40% of high school student-athletes who have received concussions return to play in their sports too early, and this can be life-threatening. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month! AB25 Town Hall Meeting held March 4, 2011 - March is Brian Injury Awareness Month Hosted by Castro Valley Unified School District, Superintendent Jim Negri introduced speakers (L-R) Assemblymember Mary Hayashi; Morris Bradshaw, Oakland Raiders; Guy McIntyre, San Francisco 49ers; Dr. Larry Dickinson, Pacific Brain & Spine Medical Group - Sutter East Bay Neuroscience Center; Paula Daoutis, Administrative Director, Brain Injury Assoc of CA; Jo Loss, President, California PTA. What is a concussion? It is a traumatic brain injury that can disrupt how the brain works. AB25 supports having medical doctors be the decision makers as to when student-athletes can return to play, as doctors have no vested interest (unlike parents, guardians and coaches) outside of the health of the student- athlete. While more facts about concussions are known today more education is still needed. Baseline ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a speed and reaction testing program that is now being used by professional sports organizations, over 300 colleges/universities and recently some high schools (such as Castro Valley High) to evaluate recovery following concussion. Dr. Larry Dickinson, Diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery, shared his 18-slide presentation with Assemblymember Mary Hayashi’s office and community via the following link: http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a18/pdf/SportsConcussionTalk.pdf Thank you! AB25 partners parents and guardians with the cause, as they will receive and sign for concussion-related literature from school districts, and student-athletes will need to have written approval from a medical doctor before returning to play. At the town hall meeting this raised a question from a member of the audience as to, “What do we do when student-athletes who are required to have healthcare in order to participate in sports don’t have healthcare?” Does this create a have/have-not situation? What level of care are we talking about as for some youth today “healthcare” is a visit to the emergency room only when a serious situation requires it. Another question raised by a member of the audience was, “Why don’t other sports such as soccer, rugby, field hockey, basketball, baseball, softball and lacrosse require their student-athletes to always wear some sort of moderate head protection gear and mouthpieces?” Morris Bradshaw, Senior Administrator for the Oakland Raiders and former wide receiver, played nine years in the NFL including two Super Bowls, stated in regards to concussions, “I fought back in to play because that was the thing to do….It was like a badge of courage to go back in to support teammates.” Guy McIntyre, former offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers played 13 years in the NFL, including three Super Bowls and five Pro Bowls stated, “We support the AB25 bill, it is necessary.” McIntyre mentioned a past football game situation where a former teammate had been hit in the head so hard during a game that the teammate thought he was bat man and could fly. Jo Loss, President, California Parent Teacher Association, noted that there are “upwards of three million occurrences a year in the United States” of brain injury, and the Brain Injury Association estimates there are 1.7 million traumatic brain injury deaths, emergency visits and hospitalizations annually in the U.S. Paula Daoutis, Administrative Director, California Brian Injury Association, Bakersfield, CA, said, “With the occurrence of multiple concussions each additional concussion is worse.” She also mentioned local walks coming up where community members can come and support brain injury awareness at various levels. 4th Annual - Walk for Thought San Jose, CA, March 26, 2011 - Sacramento, CA, March 27, 2011 - San Francisco, CA, April 2, 2011 And other California and national sites. For more information visit www.biacal.org or call 661-872-4903 If all goes well passage of AB25 is expected to happen in California this year. Similar bills have passed in other states and more states are rolling out programs in cooperation with and co-sponsored by the NFL. Washington State’s Zachary Lystedt Law is considered to be the toughest in the nation. SportsHopes is in much appreciation for the efforts of those who presented at the Town Hall Meeting to promote the prevention of injury to the student-athletes we care for in our families and communities, and for the efforts made to keep them healthy and safe while participating in sports they are passionate about. SportsHopes is also in much appreciation to the following individuals who have written articles for this newsletter in support of student-athletes: Curtis Taylor, Laney Community College, on Athletic Training; and Elizabeth Kristen and Elizabeth Cukor, The Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, on Title IX. We couldn’t do it without you all! Thank you! J.O. - SportsHopes SportsHopesSnapshots You have to want it ~ I want to go to college ~ Get busy! (L-R) Damion Rosby (SR, Castro Valley Football/Track) RB leading rusher in Hayward Area Athletic League/HAAL 2010 with 1163 yards, single game school rushing record with 291 yards, and a 10.98 100m: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytQoTjKIoV0; Arianna Posey 5’11” and Danica Appleby 5’8” (SR’s, Castro Valley Basketball) the Co-captains shared starting forward position and helped advance team to the North Coast Section/NCS quarterfinals 2-22-11. Posey had 13 points and 13 rebounds in game just prior; Dominic Revelez (SR, Dublin High Football/Track) MLB with over 80 tackles/assists combined over 10-game 2010 season, Team Captain and weight room strong can bench press 255, squat 335 and power clean 210: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90JTCZCPb5k (L-R) BriAnna Miller (SR, Castro Valley Track) Triple Jumper, Long Jumper and sprinter placed 8th in th TJ at 2010 USAT&F National Junior Olympics with a 36’-3” TJ. Also placed 18 at JO’s in LJ. 2010 best LJ 17’-8.75”, 100m 13.07: www.berecruited.com/high -schools/california/castro-valley/girls-track- field; Alex Foster (SR, Castro Valley Basketball/Track) 6’4” starting forward and teammates are 2011 #1 seeded CIF Northern California team on pathway to State Championships (Ranked #15 in nation). Foster has also High Jumped 6’-2” and sprinted a 50.59 400m: http://www.maxpreps.com/high- schools/S1urTmpDFE2q_ZJGCEF86w/castro-valley- trojans/basketball/rankings.htm; “Ellie” Dehdari (SR, Castro Valley Soccer) Quick with good foot and ball control skills the midfielder (high school) and forward (club) has been competing in soccer since the 4th grade; Juan Berman, Ben Davis and “Solo” Sulayman Diomande (SR’s Castro Valley Track & Field) Tracksters have visited UC and Cal State campuses recently. Juan is building stats since 2010 and has a 2:10.24 800m, 4:46.77 1600m and 4:58.16 mile; Ben PR’d in the Triple Jump this March with a 43’10-3/4” jump and has a 2010 best Long Jump of 19’6”; Solo,It’s a decathlete, about the scoredgrades, 5623 core points courses at the and 2010 SAT USAT&F / ACT National Junior Olympics placing 16th, and threw the javelin 137’-06” Feb. 5, 2011 at UC Berkeley All-Comers meet. It’s about the grades, core courses and SAT / ACT (L-R) Cameron Davis (Contra Costa Community College FB) The 6’1” 230 lbs athletic OLB/ILB has transferred to CCC from Pasadena CC to be a part of Coach Alonzo Carter’s football program: http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/HIOXrHFtf0mNmJy3lhsKzg/football -fall-09/videos-cameron-davis.htm Ashawndaus “Ash” Woods (Laney Community College FB) The 6’3” 200 lbs QB transferred