As football season gets underway, medical professionals want to make sure everyone understands the dangers of concussions.
Nebraska's Concussion Awareness Act took effect on July 1, 2012, and requires concussion education for coaches, parents, and players.
It sets rules regarding suspected concussions and under the law, athletes can't return to play until they get written approval from a doctor and a parent.
Athletic Trainer James Buck says that concussions can be deadly if unchecked, and this new law protects young athletes and their competitive nature.
"A lot of kids if they're playing sports, they're very competitive and they want to play. And they don't want to tell anybody they've got a headache or they've been feeling dizzy or nauseated or confused."
Buck says that this year, players have taken baseline tests to compute reaction time and memory recall. If they get a concussion, they cannot return to play until they meet or exceed those baseline results. The funding for these tests is provided by Regional West Medical Center.
