GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE AND
WELCOME TO THE ASSEMBLY ARTS
ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS TOURISM
COMMITTEES INFORMATIONAL HEARING
ON YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL.
IMPROVING ATHLETES SAFETY AS WE
GATHER TODAY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT DUE TO THE INTERIM
RECESS, SEVERAL COMMITTEE
MEMBERS ARE UNABLE TO JOIN US IN
PER IN PERSON AND MAYBE TUNING
IN FROM THE RESPECTIVE
DISTRICTS. WE WILL ALSO BE, UH
MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE
ACCESS TO ALL OF THE MATERIALS
AND, UM THE RECORDING FOOTAGE TO
VISIT ILLITERATE FACILITATE THE
THEIR PARTICIPATION. WE HAVE
ARRANGED FOR THEM TO SUBMIT
QUESTIONS VIA TEXT OR EMAIL TO
OUR COMMITTEE CONSULTANT AFTER
EACH PANEL PRESENTATION. OUR
PANELISTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN
SIMILAR TIME CONSTRAINTS AND WE
WILL BE ASKING EVERYONE TO KEEP
THEIR COMMENTS WITHIN THE TIME
LIMITS. AT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR
AGENDA, WE WILL OPEN THE FLOOR
FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. WE
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S INPUT AND
TO ENSURE AN EFFICIENT PROCESS.
WE KINDLY REQUEST THAT EACH
SPEAKER WHETHER PRESENT IN
PERSON OR CALLING IN REMOTELY
LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO ONE
MINUTE. FOR THOSE WISHING TO
SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS YOU CAN
DO SO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE. THE OBJECTIVE OF
TODAY'S HEARING IS TO PROVIDE
INFORMATION AND ENHANCE PUBLIC
UNDERSTANDING REGARDING THE
INHERENT RISKS OF INJURY
PREVALENT AND VARIOUS SPORTS AND
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. NOTABLY
FOOTBALL BEING A FULL CONTEXT,
SPORT MAY CARRY A HEIGHTENED
RISK COMPARED TO OTHER ATHLETIC
ENDEAVORS. TODAY'S INFORMATION
HEARING WILL FOCUS ON THE SAFETY
OF YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL, WHICH
INVOLVES ATHLETES THAT ARE
TYPICALLY 13 YEARS OF AGE OR
YOUNGER. IN 2019. THIS COMMITTEE
PASSED A B ONE. COOPER WHICH
BECAME KNOWN AS THE CALIFORNIA
YOUTH. FOOTBALL ACT. THE BILL,
WHICH ESTABLISHED COMPREHENSIVE
SAFETY MEASURES FOR YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL. THIS INCLUDED LIMITS
ON THE NUMBER OF FULL CONTACT
PRACTICES PER WEEK. THE AMOUNT
OF TIME PER PRACTICE CAN BE THAT
THERE CAN BE FULL CONTACT AND
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC
SPECIFIED TRAINING PROGRAMS.
THESE TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE
DESIGNED TO EQUIP COACHES AND
ADMINISTRATORS WITH THE
NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
PERTAINING TO TACKLING
TECHNIQUES, BLOCKING STRATEGIES
AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF
SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED
WITH CONCUSSIONS AND HEAD
INJURIES. A B ONE WAS SIGNED
INTO LAW ON JULY 31ST 2019 BY
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM. THE
SAFETY MEASURES WHICH TOOK
EFFECT IN JANUARY, 2021 WERE
CITED BY THE GOVERNOR AND 2022
WHEN HE VETOED A BILL BY
ASSEMBLY MEMBER KEVIN MCCARTY
THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE
SURGEON GENERAL TO CONVENE A
COMMISSION ON CHRONIC TRAUMATIC
LET'S SEE IF I CAN SAY THIS AND
SEFA LÀ THERAPY. OR C T E. THIS
COMMISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN
TASKED WITH INVESTIGATING ISSUES
CONCERNING THE RISK OF BRAIN
INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH YOUTH
FOOTBALL PARTICIPATION. GOVERNOR
NEWSOM STATED THAT THE
EFFECTIVENESS BUSINESS OF THE
CALIFORNIA YOUTH FOOTBALL ACT
HAD NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY
ASSESSED AND THAT MORE RESEARCH
IS NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
CURRENT SAFETY MEASURES AND THE
RISKS. EARLIER THIS YEAR,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S MCCARTY
INTRODUCED A B 734, WHICH WOULD
PROHIBIT YOUTH SPORTS
ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONDUCT A
TACKLE FOOTBALL PROGRAM OR YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL LEAGUES FROM
ALLOWING PARTICIPANTS YOUNGER
THAN 12 YEARS OF AGE,
CONSIDERING A BILL THAT COULD
LIMIT ACCESS TO A COMPETITIVE
SPORTS OPPORTUNITY IS A MATTER I
TAKE SERIOUSLY. AS A RESULT, A B
734 WAS HELD IN COMMITTEE TO
ALLOW FOR THE SCHEDULING OF
TODAY'S HEARING. THIS IS NOT A
BILL HEARING AND THERE WILL BE
NO VOTE ON A B 734 TODAY. THE
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS
HEARING IS TO EQUIP THE
COMMITTEE WITH COMPREHENSIVE
INFORMATION AND TO PRESENT DATA
TO THE PARENTS OF YOUNG ATHLETES
, ENSURING THEY ARE INFORMED
ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RISKS
ASSOCIATED WITH CONTACT SPORTS
THAT CAN LEAD TO SEVERE INJURIES
. WHILE TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS WILL
NOT DETERMINE THE FATE OF A B
734 OR SIMILAR BILLS IN THE
FUTURE, WE RECOGNIZE THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ISSUE. TOO
MANY INDIVIDUALS AND IT IS
LIKELY TO REMAIN A TOPIC OF
DEBATE AND CONSIDERATION IN THE
YEARS AHEAD. TODAY WE WILL BE
HEARING FROM PANELISTS THAT WILL
COVER A VARIETY OF TOPICS SUCH
AS THE LATEST RESEARCH ON
CONCUSSIONS AND BRAIN INJURY,
ADVANCES IN EQUIPMENT AND HELMET
TECHNOLOGY, THE WAYS THAT A B
ONE AND HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN
YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUES IN THE
STATE AND FROM ATHLETES AND
FAMILIES THAT HAVE DEALT WITH
THE AFTER EFFECTS OF CONCUSSION
AND C T E. AT THIS TIME AS I AM
THE CHAIR AND WE ONLY HAVE
MYSELF AND WE, OF COURSE, HAVE,
UH, WELL, WE WELCOME ASSEMBLY
MEMBER KEVIN MCCARTHY TO THE
DIOCESE. WE WILL ASK IF YOU HAVE
ANY OPENING COMMENTS. WELL GOOD
MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR
ALLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE
BECAUSE I'M NOT A MEMBER OF
THIS. OH, YEAH, THANK YOU.
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S QUIRK-SILVA FOR
INVITING ME AND ALLOWING ME TO
PARTICIPATE. I'M NOT A MEMBER OF
THIS OF THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I AM
A LOCAL MEMBER. SO MY COMMUTE IS
PRETTY QUICK AS YOU KNOW, AND
IT'S A TOPIC THAT I'M VERY
INVOLVED WITH AND HAVE BEEN
ENGAGED WITH. AS YOU MENTIONED
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND AS
YOU NOTED, THIS IS A, UM,
INFORMATIONAL HEARING. TODAY
WE'RE NOT TAKING A VOTE. THERE'S
NO REFERENCE TO BILLS PER SE,
JUST TALKING ABOUT A REALLY
IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT HAS GOT
PLENTY OF DEBATE IN THE PUBLIC
AND THE MEDIA WITH COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WHO HAVE PASSIONATE
POSITIONS ON ON BOTH SIDES OF
THE ISSUE. AND THIS IS AN ISSUE
THAT, UM YOU KNOW FAMILIES ARE
ARE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET.
WE'LL HEAR THAT AS WELL. THEY'RE
MAKING CHOICES ON THEIR OWN. BUT
STATE GOVERNMENTS SOMETIMES
EVALUATES, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC
HEALTH IMPACTS FOR OUR
COMMUNITY, OUR STATE OF 40
MILLION PEOPLE. AND OUR YOUTH
AND I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW PLENTY OF
QUESTIONS FOR BOTH BOTH PANELS
ON BOTH SIDES. I WANT US TO BE
AN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR
FROM STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THIS
IMPORTANT TOPIC. AND SO WITH
THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY'S
HEARING. THANK YOU. SOME
REMEMBER, THANK YOU
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S WITH THAT WE
WILL BE INTRODUCING OUR
PANELISTS FOR PANEL ONE. SO IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOUR WAY
UP HERE, TOO. THE TABLE HERE. UH
WELL, THEY ARE COMING UP. WE'D
LIKE TO WELCOME DR CHRIS
NOWINSKI, DR. DAVID CAMARILLO
AND DR STELLA LEGARDA. DR
NOWINSKI IS THE CEO AND CO
FOUNDER OF THE CONCUSSION.
LEGACY FOUNDATION. DOCTOR
CAMARILLO IS AN ASSOCIATE
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF
BIOENGINEERING, MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING AND NEUROSURGERY AT
STANFORD UNIVERSITY. AND DR
LEGARDA IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE
CALIFORNIA AND NEUROLOGY
SOCIETY. UH, WELCOME. ALL OF
YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING
HERE AND WE WILL HEAR FROM ALL
THREE PANELISTS, AND THEN WE
WILL ASK QUESTIONS AFTER THAT,
IF THAT'S OKAY. UM ALL RIGHT. WE
WILL THEN GO AHEAD AND BEGAN
WITH DR NOWINSKI. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS AND YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL SAFETY, SO I
HAVE A POWERPOINT SLIDE DECK
THAT I'D LIKE TO WALK THROUGH.
TITLED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM
CTE. WE NEED AN AGE MINIMUM TO
PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. SO MY BACKGROUND
IS I WAS A FOOTBALL PLAYER LOVED
THE GAME. UH CURRENTLY THE
FOUNDING CEO, THE CONCUSSION
LEGACY FOUNDATION. MY PHD IS IN
BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE FROM
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE CO FOUNDER OF THE
UNITED BRAIN BANK AT BOSTON
UNIVERSITY, THE LARGEST CT BRAIN
BANK IN THE WORLD, AS WELL AS
THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS BRAIN BANK
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. I
PLAYED FOOTBALL AT HARVARD
UNIVERSITY, WHERE I WAS NOT A
LIVELY DEFENSIVE TACKLE AND
REALLY HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE
DOING THAT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH AND I GOT INTO THIS WORLD
BECAUSE IN 2003 CONCUSSION,
CHANGED MY LIFE AND GAVE ME
LIFELONG POST CONCUSSION
SYNDROME AND INSPIRED ME TO
START RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE.
I'VE BEEN AN ADVISOR TO THE NFL
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION SINCE 2010
I'M, AN ADVISOR OF THE IVY
LEAGUE SINCE 2011 IN BOTH
INSTANCES, I CONVINCED THEM TO
MINIMIZE HITTING AND PRACTICE TO
REDUCE CT RISK FOR ADULTS, AND
THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE SOLUTION
FOR AN ADULT. BUT WE NEED TO DO
MORE TO PREVENT CTE AND CHILDREN
AND I BELIEVE THAT MEANS HAVING
A DIFFERENT VERSION OF FOOTBALL
FOR KIDS THAT DOESN'T CAUSE CTE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. I'M
DEDICATING THIS TALK TO MY
FORMER TEAMMATE CHRIS ICEMAN'S
CHILDREN. IT WAS ORIGINALLY TO
CHRIS, BUT I REALIZED IT'S HIS
CHILDREN WE TALK ABOUT. HE WAS
THE CAPTAIN OF MY 1999 HARVARD
FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYED THREE YEARS
IN THE NFL EXCITED, PLEASE. WE
WERE COLLEGE ROOMMATES. OUR
SENIOR YEAR WE SHAVED OUR HEADS
TOGETHER. UH HE PLAYED 11. YEARS
OF FOOTBALL. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
HE WENT AFTER HIS NFL CAREER GOT
AN NBA DARTMOUTH WAS SUCCESSFUL
INVESTMENT MANAGER DEVELOPED
ALCOHOLISM IN HIS LATE THIRTIES,
DRANK HIMSELF TO DEATH. YEAR AND
A HALF AGO WE STUDIED THIS
BRAIN. HE HAD STAGE TO CTE FROM
PLAYING 11. YEARS OF FOOTBALL
ARE INTERVENTIONS DID NOT SAVE
HIM, AND HE LEFT A WONDERFUL
FAMILY AND FOUR YOUNG CHILDREN.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE CAN
PREVENT THIS. TACKLE MY
PERSPECTIVE IS THE TACKLE.
FOOTBALL HAS MANY BENEFITS FOR
PLAYERS, BUT TACKLE FOOTBALL
ALSO CAUSES CTE THAT'S
INDISPUTABLE AT THIS POINT. THE
MORE TACKLE FOOTBALL. YOU PLAY
THE GREATER RISK OF CTE IN OUR
CULTURE. WE BELIEVE THAT
CHILDREN CANNOT PROVIDE INFORMED
CONSENT. A B ONE WILL NOT
PREVENT CTE IN YOUTH FOOTBALL
PLAYERS IN CALIFORNIA TACKLE
FOOTBALL IS THE ONLY MAJOR SPORT
IN AMERICA WITHOUT AN AGE
MINIMUM TO GET EXPOSED TO
REPETITIVE HEAD IMPACTS, AND THE
TACKLE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY CANNOT
REFORM ITSELF AND THAT'S WHY I
BELIEVE THE LEGISLATION. THE
LEGISLATION IS NEEDED IN THIS
AREA FROM THE STATE. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. CTE IS A DEGENERATIVE
DISEASE CAUSED BY REPETITIVE
IMPACTS TO THE HEAD THAT CAUSES
PROBLEMS WITH COGNITION, MOOD
BEHAVIOR AND SLEEP AND RESULTS
IN DEMENTIA AND ITS MOST SEVERE
FORM. LUCKILY STUDIES SUGGESTS
IT'S RELATIVELY RARE IN THE
POPULATION BECAUSE THERE AREN'T
THAT MANY AMERICANS WHO GET HIT
IN THE HEAD 10,000 TIMES IN
THEIR LIFE, BUT IT'S VERY
FREQUENT IN LONG TIME CONTEXT.
SPORT ATHLETES. IT CANNOT BE
DIAGNOSED ACCURATELY NOR
EFFECTIVELY TREATED AND LIVING.
BUT IT IS PREVENTABLE. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. I WROTE A PAPER
ALONG WITH COLLEAGUES AROUND THE
WORLD AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS
CAUSING CTE, UH AND IT'S
IMPORTANT TO REALIZE IT IS NOT
CONCUSSIONS THAT CAUSE CTE. THIS
IS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE
SOLVED BY HAVING CONCUSSION
PROTOCOLS. IT'S CAUSED BY
REPETITIVE HITS OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, MANY THAT CAUSED
ESSENTIALLY SILENT, TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURIES. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. IT'S ACCEPTED NOW BY
BOTH THE CDC AND THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF HEALTH THAT THIS
CAUSATION IS THERE, THE CDC
STATED. RESEARCH TO DATE
SUGGESTS ET IS CAUSED IN PART BY
REPEATED TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURIES, INCLUDING CONCUSSIONS
AND REPEATED HITS TO THE HEAD
CALLED SUB CONCUSSIVE. HEAD
IMPACTS NEXT SLIDE. AND THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
THROUGH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND
STROKE ALSO CHANGED THEIR
LANGUAGE LAST YEAR ON THIS TO
SAY RESEARCH SUGGESTS IT IS
CAUSED IN PART BY REPEATED
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES. THIS
IS DIFFERENT THAN IN PREVIOUS
YEARS. THIS IS NEW THAT NOW OUR
GREATEST PUBLIC HEALTH BODIES,
UNITED STATES BOTH AGREE THAT
THESE REPETITIVE HITS AND TACKLE
FOOTBALL CAUSE CTE AND SOME OF
THE ATHLETES NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
YOUR ODDS OF DEVELOPING CT.
WE'VE ALSO LEARNED FROM OUR
RESEARCH AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
IS DUE TO HOW MANY HITS YOU TAKE
AND HOW HARD THOSE HITS ARE.
IT'S SIMPLY A MATH PROBLEM. IT'S
VERY MUCH LIKE SMOKING AND LUNG
CANCER, THE MORE CIGARETTES THE
MORE YEARS AND MORE YOUR RISK.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE STUDIED
680 DECEASED FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO
LEARN THIS. MORE THAN HALF OF
WHOM HAD CTE. SO I WANT TO TAKE
A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE
WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST TO THIS
DISEASE WHO HAVE TAUGHT US THIS
VERY IMPORTANT LESSON. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. WHEN I HEAR YOU
SEE, UH, FIGURE FROM THE PAPER
SHOWING ON THE BOTTOM NUMBER OF
YEARS OF FOOTBALL PLAYED AND ON
THE LEFT THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE
WHO PLAYED THAT NUMBER OF YEAR
WITH CTE, YOU SEE THAT IF YOU
HAVE A VERY SHORT CAREER, YOUR
ODDS ARE LOW. IF YOU HAVE A LONG
CAREER, YOUR ODDS ARE EXTREMELY
HIGH IN THIS SAMPLE THAT WE
STUDIED. IT SHOWS A DOSE
RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP, ALTHOUGH
IT DOES MOVE AROUND A LITTLE
BIT. ANOTHER WAY TO ANALYZE THIS
DATA. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE IS JUST
LOOKING AT THE PRESUMED BASED ON
THE POSITIONS THOSE ATHLETES
PLAYED, AND AT THE AGES THEY
PLAYED TOTAL CUMULATIVE FORCE OF
THOSE HITS NUMBER OF HITS, TIMES
STRENGTH AND IT SMOOTHS OUT THE
GRAPH VERY CLEARLY. SO THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE CONTROL YOU
HIT. SOMEBODY HAD FEWER TIMES
WITH LESS FORCE. THEY WILL HAVE
LESS RISK OF CTE. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. BUT KIDS HIT HARD AND
THAT'S ONE OF THE MYTHS THAT WE
NEED TO CHANGE. IS THAT THOSE
HITS OF YOUNG YOUTH TAX
BALLPLAYERS ARE NOT DAMAGING
THEIR BRAINS. THIS STUDY WE IN
THIS STUDY THAT WE PUBLISHED WE
LOOKED AT EVERY CENTER STUDY
EVER PUBLISHED IN THE IN THE
LITERATURE. AND WHAT YOU SEE IN
THOSE RED CIRCLES THERE IS THAT
THE AVERAGE HIT TO THE HEAD. OF
A YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL PLAYER
IS EQUAL. IN STRENGTH TO THE
AVERAGE HIT TO THE HEAD OF A
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER. IT
DOESN'T LOOK THAT WAY BECAUSE
COLLEGE BALLPLAYERS ARE BIGGER,
STRONGER AND FASTER. BUT WE
DON'T REALIZE THIS KID'S BODIES
ARE SHAPED DIFFERENTLY. THEY
HAVE MUCH LARGER HEADS SMALLER
BODIES WEAKER NEXT AND SO IT
DOESN'T TAKE AS MUCH ENERGY TO
CAUSE THEIR HEAD TO MOVE
VIOLENTLY AND CAUSED BRAIN
DAMAGE. THE ONLY THING THAT
YOUTH FOOTBALL HAS GOING FORWARD
BECAUSE THEY PLAYED FEWER GAMES.
THE BLUE CIRCLES THEY HAVE FEWER
HITS TO THE HEAD PER SEASON, BUT
STILL 200 HITS THE HEAD ON
AVERAGE. FOR A SEVEN YEAR OLD.
TO ME DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. HERE'S SOME
VIDEOS THAT I JUST PULL OFF
TIKTOK OF YOUNG CHILDREN HITTING
EACH OTHER VERY HARD JUST TO PUT
THIS UM AS A VISUAL. THESE ARE
REAL INJURIES TO REAL CHILDREN.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THIS
RELATIONSHIP OF CT IS SIMILAR TO
SMOKING AND LUNG CANCER. THIS IS
A PAPER FROM 2019 NEXT SLIDE.
PLEASE MOVE THIS FORWARD SO YOU
CAN SEE THAT THE ODDS OF YOUR
DEVELOPING CT GOT BARRY 15 TO
30% PER YEAR YOU PLAY AND IT'S
VERY SIMILAR TO YOUR ODDS OF
DEVELOPING CANCER PER YEAR. YOU
SMOKE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. A B
ONE WILL NOT PREVENT CTE. IT
COVERS A LOT OF IMPORTANT
THINGS. HELMET RESEARCH,
OCCASSION, CONCUSSIONS, OPIOID
HEAT ILLNESS, BUT THE ONLY
ASPECTS OF A B THAT COULD
POSSIBLY ADDRESS CT RISK, WHICH
IS NOT MENTIONED AS A GOAL OF
THE BILL IS A LIMIT ON HITTING
AND PRACTICE TO TWO DAYS A WEEK,
30 MINUTES, WHICH IS MORE THAN
NFL PLAYERS. HAD YOU CAN DO A
LOT OF BRAIN DAMAGE IN THAT
HOUR. AND COACHES RECEIVE
CERTIFICATION ON TEACHING SAFER
BLOCKING AND TACKLING TO REMOVE
THE HEAD FROM CONTACT. WHERE
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THIS WORKS.
YOU'RE ASKING CHILDREN WITH
LARGE HEADS TO TACKLE MOVING
OBJECTS AND IF THEY CAN'T DO IT
EFFECTIVELY SO AS FEWER HITS THE
RIGHT ANSWER FOR IT TO CTE FOR
NINE YEAR OLDS. I WOULD SAY NO,
BECAUSE IF WE BELIEVE THAT FEWER
HITS TO THE HEAD WAS THE RIGHT
ANSWER. AND WE APPLIED THAT TO
SMOKING. OUR LAWS WOULDN'T BE.
KIDS CAN'T SMOKE. OUR LAWS WOULD
BE KIDS CAN ONLY SMOKE ONE PACK
A DAY. THAT'S WHAT THIS BILL IS.
IT'S A ONE PACK A DAY LIMIT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THERE IS NO
MIRACLE TECHNO TECHNOLOGICAL
SOLUTION TO THIS HELMETS ARE NOT
GOING TO PREVENT CTE THAT WE
NEED TO KEEP IMPROVING THEM.
THEY WILL PLAY A ROLE, BUT
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE IT.
CAR BUMPERS HAVEN'T SOLVED
INJURIES FROM CAR ACCIDENTS. THE
BEST ANSWER IS WE STOP HITTING
KIDS IN THE HEAD. NEXT SLIDE.
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO START HITTING
KIDS IN THE HEAD? I DON'T KNOW
THE ANSWER, BUT I'LL TELL YOU
YOUTH SPORTS HAVE DECIDED THAT,
UH EACH SPORT HAS HAS TAKEN
ACTION. SINCE SETI HAS STARTED
TO BE DIAGNOSED. LACROSSE HAS
MADE EVERY HIT TO THE HEAD OF
PENALTY. SINCE CT YOU'VE SEEN IN
HOCKEY HOCKEY RAISED THE AGE OF
CHECKING FROM 11 TO 13 WHEN CT
STARTED BEING SEEN IN SOCCER US
SOCCER BAND HEADING UNTIL AGE 11
FOOTBALL HAS NOT MADE ANY MOVE
TO PREVENT CTE IN ITS PLAYERS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHAT IS THE
RIGHT AGE? SCIENCE CAN'T ANSWER
THAT. THAT'S A POLICY DECISION
TO BE CITED HERE. WE CAN LOOK AT
IT FROM A RISK OF BENEFIT
QUESTION LIKE DRIVING. YOU KNOW,
THAT'S THAT'S MY SON IN THE
PASSENGER SEAT THERE IN THAT
PHOTO, YOU CAN TEACH LITTLE KIDS
TO DRIVE. THEY CAN LEARN THE
RULES, BUT WE DON'T THINK THAT
RISK IS WORTH ALL THE INJURIES
THEY'LL GET. WE DON'T SAY YOU
NEED TO START DRIVING AT FIVE.
SO YOU'RE A GOOD DRIVER AT 18.
YOU DON'T NEED TO START TACKLING
YOUNG TO LEARN HOW TO TACKLE AS
AN ADULT. I ALSO FIND IT
FASCINATING. CALIFORNIA'S THE
FIRST STATE STATE TO BEND INDOOR
TANNING FOR MINORS, AND THERE'S
NOW 20 STATES THAT DO IT. SO IN
CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN'T DAMAGE
YOUR SKIN UNTIL YOU'RE 18. BUT
YOU CAN DAMAGE YOUR BRAIN THAT
DOESN'T ALIGN WITH ME AS A
NEUROSCIENTIST. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. FOOTBALL IS AN OUTLIER
ON CHANGING THE GAME TO PROTECT
KIDS FROM CTE, PARTIALLY BECAUSE
THERE'S NO GOVERNING BODY THAT
OWNS YOUTH FOOTBALL. YOUTH
FOOTBALL CANNOT MAKE THIS CHANGE
ITSELF. IT CANNOT REGULATE
ITSELF WITH AN AGE MINIMUM. THIS
HAS BEEN OPENLY DISCUSSED IN THE
OLD DAYS, 2012 WHEN, WHEN, UH,
WHEN I HAD A POP WARNER TALKED
ABOUT HOW THE 1995% OF OUR
MEMBERS WOULD DROP OUT IF THEY
HAD A MINIMUM AGE. UM BECAUSE
KIDS WANT TO PLAY AND IT WAS
DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING THAT
IF THEY SET AN AGE TO SAY YOU
CAN'T PLAY TACKLE TILL 10 POP
WARNER. THAT WOULD MEAN THAT
EVERY COMPETITIVE ORGANIZATION
AND THESE GROUPS ARE COMPETING
ORGANIZATIONS FOR KIDS AND
ENROLLMENT COULD MOVE INTO TOWN
START RECRUITING KIDS AT FIVE IF
THERE WAS DEMAND. AND THEY WOULD
RUN THE COMPETITOR POP WARNER
OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE THEY WOULD
NEVER CONVERT OVER TO TACKLE
FOOTBALL AT POP WARNER, SO YOUTH
FOOTBALL CANNOT SET THEIR OWN
AGE MINIMUMS. THEY'LL PUT
THEMSELVES OUT OF BUSINESS, EACH
ORGANIZATION NEXT SLIDE. SO
THERE'S THAT SO THERE'S THEY
CAN'T REGULATE THEMSELVES. AND
THEN THE QUESTION IS IN OFFERING
SOLUTIONS. I FIND THIS QUOTE
FROM THE HEAD OF POP WARNER
FASCINATING, HE SAID. FIRST WE
HAVE A DUTY TO FOOTBALL. HE
DOESN'T SAY FIRST WE HAVE A DUTY
TO CHILDREN. FIRST WE HAVE A
DUTY TO FOOTBALL. THIS MEANS TOO
MUCH TO PEOPLE AND HAS FOR SO
LONG. WE CAN'T TURN HER BACK ON
IT. WE FIGURED OUT TOBACCO. WE
FIGURED OUT ASBESTOS AND WE'LL
FIGURE THIS OUT. AND THAT
STATEMENT TO ME IS VERY TELLING.
BECAUSE WE DO SEE THIS AS A
PROBLEM LIKE TOBACCO AND
ASBESTOS FOR KIDS, AND WE MADE
THOSE THINGS ILLEGAL. WE DON'T
PUT ASBESTOS IN OUR SCHOOLS
ANYMORE. WE DON'T LIKE KIDS BUY
CIGARETTES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY WE'RE STILL LIKE KIDS
PLAYING TACKLE FOOTBALL AT FIVE.
IT'S A SHAME AS SOMEONE WHO
SUCCEEDED AND HAD FUN PLAYING AT
HARVARD THAT IF I STARTED AT
FIVE, AND I LOVED THE GAME, AND
I PLAYED THAT LONG I WOULD
PROBABLY ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE
CTE FROM THAT MUCH EXPOSURE. SO
IF YOU LEARN IF YOU TEACH THESE
KIDS WELL, AND THEY HAVE SUCCESS
, UH, WHEN THEY STARTED FIVE,
YOU'RE PROBABLY SEND HIM ON A
PATH TO CTE. IF WE HAVE AN AGE
MINIMUM, AND WE START LATER,
PLAYERS CAN RETAIN THE BENEFITS
OF FOOTBALL WITHOUT LOSING SO
MUCH TO CTE. NEXT SLIDE. FLAG
FOOTBALL IS AN AGE APPROPRIATE
INTRODUCTION OF FOOTBALL. IT'S
RIGHT THERE. CDC HAS STUDIED
THIS. YOU HAVE NEARLY 50 TIMES
AS MANY HAD IMPACTS AND TACKLE
VERSUS FLAG. IT PROVIDES ALL THE
BENEFITS OF ACTIVITY. TEAM
SPORTS WITHOUT THE RISK OF CT,
SO WE SHOULD BE SUGGESTING THESE
FAMILIES PLAY FLAG NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. SO TO WRAP UP SPORTS
HAVE MANY BENEFITS TACKLE
FOOTBALL. UNFORTUNATELY CAUSES
CTE MORE FOOTBALL IS MORE CTE. I
TRULY BELIEVE THESE CHILDREN
CANNOT PROVIDE INFORMED CONSENT
TO GETTING A LIFELONG BRAIN
DISEASE THAT WILL CHANGE WHO
THEY ARE. THE CURRENT BILL,
MAYBE ONE WILL NOT PREVENT CT
AND HIS CHILDREN. TACKLE
FOOTBALL IS THE ONLY SUPPORT
WITHOUT AN AGE MINIMUM. BUT THE
TACKLE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY CANNOT
CREATE ONE THEMSELVES. SO IF WE
WANT TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA
CHILDREN FROM CT, THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA TO STEP IN AND
SETTLEMENT MINIMUM AGE TO PLAY
NEXT SLIDE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. AND AS WE NOTED, WE
WILL ASK QUESTIONS. AT THE END
OF NEXT WE WILL MOVE FORWARD
WITH DR CAMARILLO. HAVE A SLIDE
PRESENTATION THAT SHOULD BE
COMING UP SHORTLY. GOOD MORNING,
EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DAVID
CAMARILLO. I'M FROM STANFORD
UNIVERSITY. DR NOWINSKI, AND I
ACTUALLY PLAYED FOOTBALL AGAINST
EACH OTHER. AND IN COLLEGE, I
WAS AT PRINCETON AND HERE WE
MEET AGAIN. WE HAVE A FEW
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, BUT I
THINK WE SHARED THE SAME GOAL OF
MAKING SPORTS SAFER FOR KIDS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY SO, UM
, I WANNA TOUCH ON KIND OF FROM
A BROADER POINT OF VIEW NUMBER
OF STUDIES THAT HAVE LOOKED AT
THE AGE OF STARTING YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL AND SOME OTHER SPORTS
AS WELL LOOKING AT THIS
QUESTION. DOES YOUTH FOOTBALL
CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE AND I'M SORRY
. THIS IS PRETTY SMALL. THE
SCREEN I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE WOULD
BE THE SMALL BUT IF YOU LOOK IN
THE RIGHT COLUMN OF THESE 13
DIFFERENT STUDIES THAT HAVE
LOOKED AT VARIOUS OUTCOMES OF
BRAIN DAMAGE LATER IN LIFE,
THEY'RE MIXED. THERE'S SOME THAT
SAY YES, SOME SAY NO, AND
THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT
IS THE AGE WHICH YOU STARTED
TACKLE FOOTBALL, SO ALTHOUGH I
DON'T DEBATE DR LEWINSKY'S
ASSERTION THAT FOOTBALL, UH IN
THE LONG TERM CAN CAUSE DAMAGE
TO THE BRAIN. THE QUESTION OF
DOES YOUTH FOOTBALL MEANING
UNDER 12 DOES THAT COLLEGE
DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN? I THINK
THAT'S INCONCLUSIVE, AND THERE
IS NOT A CONSENSUS IN THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. SO UH, I WANTED
TO PULL OUT. THIS IS A REALLY
ELEGANT STUDY THAT DR NOVINSKY
SHOWED IN HIS LAST. UH FEW
SLIDES. I WANTED TO PULL UP ONE
OF THE GRAPHICS FROM THE SLIDE,
AND IT'S LOOKING AT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NUMBER
OF TIMES ONE HAS SUSTAINED A
HEAD ACCELERATIONS AHEAD.
ACCELERATION IS WHEN YOUR HEAD
MOVES BACK AND FORTH. UH
PRESUMING, PRESUMABLY FROM AN
IMPACT, ALTHOUGH THERE'S OTHER
THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THIS AS
WELL, AND WHAT THEY DID IN THAT
STUDY IS, THEY ADDED THE NUMBER
OF TIMES THIS HAPPENED OVER A
LIFETIME OF A PLAYER. THESE ARE
ESTIMATES AND AS YOU SEE, BY THE
WAY, WAITED BY THE SEVERITY, SO
IT'S THE NUMBER EACH TIME. ONE
HAPPENS TIMES OF SEVERITY AND
YOU ADD THEM ALL UP. AND YOU
SEE, THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP AS
DR NOVINSKY SKIT SAID BETWEEN
THOSE WHO HAVE SEVERE MILD AND
NO CT, UM AND WHAT THAT SUGGESTS
TO ME IS THAT IN FACT IT IT
MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO PREVENT CTE
IF IT IS, IN FACT CAUSED BY
YOUTH FOOTBALL, WHICH I DON'T
THINK IS CONCLUSIVE. BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT
POSSIBLE SO THERE'S BASICALLY
TWO WAYS TO GO ABOUT DOING THIS
ONE IS YOU CAN REDUCE THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF IMPACTS TO YOU CAN
PRODUCE THE SEVERITY OF IMPACTS
. SO A B ONE AND OTHER KINDS OF
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL RULE
CHANGES. TECHNIQUE CHANGES THOSE
MAY BE ABLE TO MODIFY THE NUMBER
OF IMPACTS WHAT I WAS GOING TO
TALK ABOUT FOR MOST OF THE REST
OF MY TIME HERE IS ABOUT WAYS TO
REDUCE THE MAGNITUDE MAGNITUDE
OR SEVERITY OF IMPACTS
SPECIFICALLY THROUGH HELMET
TECHNOLOGIES. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. OKAY SO I WANTED TO
FOCUS ON YOUR START WITH. I
SHOULD SAY A TECHNOLOGY THAT
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT. YOU
MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT IF YOU'RE
WATCHING THE NEWS RECENTLY. AND
IT'S THIS THIS COVER THAT YOU
PUT ON TOP OF A FOOTBALL HELMET
CALLED THE GUARDIAN CAP. AND
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE NFL
RECENTLY HAS MANDATED FOR USE IN
PRESEASON FOOTBALL. THEY'VE EVEN
MADE COMMENTS RECENTLY ABOUT
REQUIRING DURING REGULAR SEASON
FOOTBALL. MY OWN INSTITUTION AT
STANFORD. THEY USE THIS IN
PRACTICE AND PRESEASON FOOTBALL
AS WELL. AND THERE WAS, UM
INTERESTING ARTICLE THAT CAME
OUT THIS SUMMER. IT WAS A PRESS
RELEASE FROM THE NFL. SAYING
THAT THE GUARDIAN CAPTAIN USE OF
THE GUARDIAN CAP REDUCED
CONCUSSION BY 52% WHICH, UM, ON
ONE HAND, IS VERY EXCITING. ON
THE OTHER HAND, UM, IT'S
PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THIS IS NOT
A PEER REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC STUDY
. THE THIS IS NOT OPENLY SHARED
DATA. THIS IS JUST A CLEAN NFL'S
MAKING. AND AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW
THERE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY OF
THE NFL HAS NOT BEEN, UH, REALLY
, THEY'RE NOT VERY TRUSTWORTHY
SHORT. IT'S ONE WAY TO SAY IT.
SO ALTHOUGH THIS IS INTERESTING,
IT DOESN'T CONVINCE ME ON THE
OTHER HAND, BOTH MY GROUP AND
ANOTHER GROUP JUST THIS YEAR
PUBLISHED STUDIES OF THE
GUARDIAN CAP. THESE ARE IN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND WHAT WE DID
BOTH BOTH OCCASIONS WAS TO USE
MOUTH GUARD SENSORS THAT HAVE
ACCELEROMETERS AND THEN YOU HAVE
YOU CAN LOOK AT HOW MUCH OF A
DIFFERENCE IS THE GUARDIAN CAP.
MAKE UNFORTUNATELY, WE BOTH
FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO
NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN CHANGES
OF HEAD ACCELERATION IN THE
FIELD WHEN YOU'RE WEARING THE
GUARDIAN CAP, AND WHEN YOU'RE
NOT, I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR,
THOUGH, THAT THIS DOESN'T
NECESSARILY REFUTE THE NFL
FINDING IT'S NOT BEEN
SUBSTANTIATED EITHER. SO ONE
POSSIBILITY HERE IS YOU SEE, THE
GUARDIAN CAP DOESN'T COVER A
LARGE FRACTION OF THE HEAD. IT
DOESN'T COVER THE FACE AT ALL.
SO OUR STUDIES DID NOT LOOK A
CONCUSSION. WE WERE LOOKING AT
SUB CONCUSSIVE IMPACTS, AND IT'S
POSSIBLE THAT JUST YOUR GARDEN
VARIETY MOST COMMON TYPE OF SUB
CONCUSSIVE IMPACT AREN'T REALLY
AFFECTED OR PROTECTED BY THE
GUARDIAN CAP, BUT MORE RARE
IMPACT FOR YOU MIGHT SUSTAIN IT
HIT TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD. THE
GUARDIAN CAP COULD BE EFFECTIVE
, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE
THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN STUDIED
IN SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEWED
LITERATURE SO MORE WORK IS
NEEDED. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
OKAY, SO THIS IS I WANTED TO
SHOW SOME PEER REVIEWED
LITERATURE. SO THIS IS A
COMBINATION OF SOME INFORMATION
FROM NFL DATA AND SOME FROM MY
OWN LABORATORY. SO IF YOU LOOK
AT THESE BIG CIRCLES ESSENTIALLY
WHAT THESE ARE ARE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF HELMETS THAT HAVE BEEN
USED IN THE NFL AND ON THE
BOTTOM ACCESS. THIS IS A HEAD
ACCELERATION INDEX. SO IF YOU
TEST THESE HELMETS IN THE
LABORATORY YOU CAN DETERMINE HOW
MUCH ACCELERATION RESULTS FROM A
GIVEN IMPACT. AND WHAT WHAT THE
NFL DID HERE IS THEY LOOKED AT
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HELMETS, HOW
MUCH ACCELERATION THEY PROTECT
AGAINST AND WHAT THE CONCUSSION
RATES ARE, AND THEY FOUND A
FAIRLY LINEAR CORRELATION. SO
THE HIGHER THE ACCELERATIONS,
THE MORE CONCUSSIONS THERE WERE
THE LOWER THE ACCELERATION. THE
LAST CONCUSSIONS. THERE WERE UH
, ON THE LEFT OF THE SLIDE. I
WANTED TO SHARE A TECHNOLOGY
THAT MY LABORATORY RECENTLY
INVENTED. AND BY WAY OF
DISCLOSURE. I'VE STARTED A
COMPANY THAT'S GOING TO BE
COMMERCIALIZING. THIS TECHNOLOGY
IS ESSENTIALLY A LIQUID HELMET.
THIS IS ONLY A SIMULATED
COMPUTER SIMULATION STUDIES, SO
THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO DO TO
PROVE THIS OUT. BUT THE HEAD
ACCELERATION REDUCTION IN THIS
STUDY IS MUCH MORE THAN THE
HELMETS OUT THERE ON THE FIELD
AND THE CONCUSSION RATE WOULD GO
DOWN ACCORDINGLY. IF YOU BELIEVE
THIS NFL STUDY SO THERE, UM I
GUESS THE SUMMARY, I GUESS WHAT
I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WITH
SOME OF THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES,
I DO BELIEVE THERE'S HOPE IT
REDUCING THE MAGNITUDE OF THESE
ACCELERATIONS. WHICH MAY HAVE AN
EFFECT ON CTE AND OTHER TYPES OF
BRAIN DISEASES. ASSOCIATED
TACKLE FOOTBALL. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. OKAY SO I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM AND
OPPORTUNITY HERE, WHICH IS MOST
OF THE INNOVATION AND HELMET
TECHNOLOGY IN THE LAST, UH WHAT
IS THE 60 YEARS OR SO HAS BEEN
IN ADULTS, NOT IN YOUTH. OKAY?
OR OR THERE WAS NO
DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN YOUTH
AND ADULTS. SO IN 1969 RESPONSE
TO A NUMBER OF DEATHS IN IN
TACKLE FOOTBALL, THE NATIONAL
OPERATING COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS
ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT WAS FORMED
CALLED KNOXY AND ON THE BACK OF
A YOUTH OR VARSITY OR ADULT
FOOTBALL HELMET. YOU'LL SEE A
LITTLE STICKER THAT SAYS THIS
HAS BEEN KNOXY CERTIFIED. 1973
THEY CAME OUT WITH THE FIRST
STANDARD BY WAY OF DISCLOSURE. I
DO SERVE ON THEIR SCIENTIFIC
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. IT'S NOT A
PAID POSITION. BY 1973. THEY
CAME OUT WITH THEIR FIRST
STANDARD. THEIR STANDARD WAS
ABOUT SKULL FRACTURE, SO THAT
WAS THE PROBLEM THEY WERE TRYING
TO SOLVE AT THE TIME TO PREVENT
SCHOOL FRACTURE, AND YOU KNOW
ABOUT WITHIN ABOUT 20 YEARS YOU
STARTED SEEING IMPROVEMENTS
IMPROVEMENTS. BY THE TIME YOU
GET A 1991. THERE WERE THE FIRST
YEAR THEY HAD NEW FATALITIES IN
YOUTH FOOTBALL, SO I DO THINK
THAT THAT STANDARD AGAINST SKULL
FRACTURE, UM, HELPED AND MADE
THE SPORT SAFER IN IN SOME
RESPECTS. HOWEVER, SCHOOL
FRACTURES AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT HERE TODAY, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT OTHER KINDS OF DAMAGE THAT
HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN AND
ACCUMULATES OVER TIME. AND IT
WASN'T UNTIL 2018 JUST A FEW
YEARS AGO. DID NOT SEE FOR THE
FIRST TIME I MADE A NEW STANDARD
THAT ADDRESS CONCUSSIONS, SO THE
HELMETS ARE GOING TO BE TESTED
AGAINST THEIR ABILITY TO PREVENT
CONCUSSIONS. SO THAT WAS AN
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER,
IT WASN'T UNTIL ONLY TWO YEARS
AGO. 2021 THE FIRST YOUTH
SPECIFIC, UH, HELMET STANDARDS
REALLY ACTUALLY WERE EVEN
PROPOSED. THEY HAVEN'T FULLY
COME INTO EFFECT YET. THERE WAS
ALSO A GROUP AT VIRGINIA TECH,
WHICH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN
THE PUBLISHED A NOT SO STANDARD
IS A PASS FAIL YOUR HELMETS SAFE
ENOUGH OR IT'S TOO DANGEROUS. UM
ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT SAFETY,
AS DO RATE, THE SAFETY ON A
SCALE FROM 1 TO 5 USING A STAR
RATING AND THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT VIRGINIA TECH HAS DONE, AND
THEY JUST RELEASED THESE
YOUTHFUL RATINGS A COUPLE OF
YEARS AGO, BUT I THINK THAT'S
THE TYPE OF DIRECTION THAT THAT
WE NEED TO GO IS TO HAVE A MORE
REFINED SCALE TO EVALUATE
SAFETY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO
IN SUMMARY. I ACTUALLY BELIEVE
YOU FOOTBALL CAN BE MADE SAFER.
UM, THE NEGATIVE BRAIN EFFECTS
OF YOUTH FOOTBALL ARE STILL
UNCLEAR. THERE'S NOT SCIENTIFIC
CONSENSUS IN THE COMMUNITY,
REDUCING HEAD ACCELERATIONS MAY
PREVENT CT. WE DON'T KNOW THIS
FOR SURE. BUT AS I SHOWED IN
THAT FIRST SLIDE, THE LESS
EXPOSURE YOU HAD SORRY. THE
GROUPS THAT DID NOT HAVE CT HAD
LOWER EXPOSURE, WHICH LEADS ME
TO BELIEVE IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT
HELMET INNOVATIONS, HOWEVER,
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON
ADULTS, AND IN SOME CASE
ADOLESCENTS, THERE'S BEEN NO
DIFFERENTIATION WITH YOUTH, AND
I THINK THAT'S PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE THERE IS A
LOT MORE ENERGY IN THE ADULT
GAME IN THE NFL GAME, AND WHEN
THOSE HELMETS ARE ARE BEING
DESIGNED, AND THEN BASICALLY THE
SAME TECHNOLOGY BEING PASSED ON
TO YOUTH, THAT'S PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS. I THINK YOU END UP
WITH A HELMET. THAT'S WAY TOO
HARD FOR KIDS. SO UH, WHERE I
BELIEVE WE NEED TO GO HERE IS TO
FURTHER DEVELOP SAFETY RATINGS
AND SAFETY RATINGS DO WORK. THEY
ARE AFFECTIVE. I WANTED TO GIVE
AN EXAMPLE HERE OF CAR CRASH
RATINGS, SO CARS HAVE BECOME
MUCH, MUCH SAFER. THE DEATHS PER
MILE HAVE GONE DOWN
SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME. AND ONE
OF THE THINGS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAS DONE PARTICULARLY
WELL. HERE IS IT'S CALLED THE
END CAP, THE NEW CAR ASSESSMENT
PROGRAM, AND IF YOU BUY A NEW
CAR YOU SEE ON THE WINDOW
STICKER, A SET OF RATINGS OF
STARS FOR HOW THE CAR PERFORMS
IN VARIOUS KINDS OF CRASH TESTS,
AND SO THE BUYER CAN BE
INFORMED. UH WE DON'T HAVE THIS
FOR FOOTBALL OR ANY OTHER KIND
OF HELMETS. I THINK SOMETHING
LIKE THIS WOULD BE USEFUL FOR
YOUTH FOOTBALL AND MANY OTHER
TYPES OF HELMETS. AND AS DR
NOWINSKI NOTED, CALIFORNIA CAN
BE A LEADER IN RESPECTS OF
SAFETY. THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE
PAST. AND SO I'D LOVE TO SEE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS COME TO
FRUITION IN THE FUTURE. I THINK
THAT'S ALL I HAVE OTHER THAN
THAT. OH, SORRY. ONE MORE SLIDE.
I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AS A AS
A PROFESSOR. MOST OF THE WORK IN
MY LAB COMES FROM MY STUDENTS,
POSTDOCS AND COLLEAGUES. I WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND THE
SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT IS
SUPPORTED US IN OUR WORK. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT NEXT OR FINALLY ON THIS
PANEL. WE ALL HAVE DOCTOR
LEGARDA. WELL, THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIRMAN. SO I WILL BE TALKING
ABOUT YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL AND
THE DEVELOPING BRAIN. AND OOPS,
COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST?
LIKE? ALL RIGHT, UM SO I
ACTUALLY AM A NEUROLOGIST, BUT I
AM ALSO A PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGIST.
I'M A CARD CARRYING PEDIATRIC
NEUROLOGIST. SO I SEE THESE KIDS
ALL THE TIME IN MY PRACTICE. UM
AND, UM WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
HERE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PYRAMID
ON THE RIGHT IS THAT THE
MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO
PLAYED TACKLE FOOTBALL IN
AMERICA 3 MILLION OVER 3.
MILLION OF THEM ARE CHILDREN
AGES, 6 TO 14. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. INDIVIDUALS
WHO PLAYED PROFESSIONAL TACKLE
FOOTBALL. 1696 PEOPLE WHO PLAY.
SCHOLARSHIP FOOTBALL IN COLLEGE
19,000 HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS 1
MILLION PRE HIGH SCHOOL OVER 3
MILLION AND THE NEXT SLIDE WILL
TELL YOU WHERE I GET MY SOURCE.
AH ONE MORE CLICK, PLEASE. SO IN
2015. THAT'S WHEN, UM, STUDIES
ABOUT C T E. WE'RE BEGINNING TO
COME OUT SO YOU CAN SEE THERE
HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN TACKLE
FOOTBALL. UM THIS IS UP CHILDREN
OVER AGE SIX UP TO ADULTS. OF
COURSE, THIS HAS BEEN A
REDUCTION OVERALL, BUT THERE'S
BEGINNING TO CLIMB AGAIN. IN
NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS PLAYING
TACKLE FOOTBALL. NEXT ONE,
PLEASE. SO I DEPICT HEAR A BELL.
AND THE BELL BEING CLANKED, AND
I'D LIKE TO MAKING ANALOGY TO
THE BRAIN WHEN THE BRAIN IS HIT
LIKE A BELL IS HIT. IT WILL
CLANG AND WHEN THE RESONATOR
GETS CUP COMES BACK TO
STABILITY, THE CLAPPER DOES,
TOO. IN CONCUSSION. THE CLAPPER
DOES NOT COME BACK TO STABILITY
UNTIL THAT PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS
ARE RESOLVED. AND THAT'S YOU'RE
GONNA BE SEEING ME. USE THIS,
UM, ANALOGY. SO THE BACKGROUND
OF THIS TALK IS THAT EARLY
CHILDHOOD BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
LEAST THE FOUNDATION FOR LONG
TERM COGNITIVE AND MENTAL
HEALTH. EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH OUTCOMES. SUCCESSFUL. UM,
MATURATION. UH, RESULT IN
HEALTHFUL UM, PREPARATION AT
PUBERTY AND ADOLESCENCE. THESE
ARE VERY CRITICAL STAGES OF
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. AND
WE'VE ALL HAD OUR PUBERTY AND
ADOLESCENCE. SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT
I MEAN. UM SO THE FACT IS
COMPARED TO OTHER SPORTS IN
YOUTH. THE NUMBER ONE INJURY
COMING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF
CHILDREN AGES. 6 TO 12 IS FROM
TACKLE FOOTBALL. AND, UM. YOUTH
ATHLETES WHO PLAYED TACKLE
FOOTBALL. HAVE THE SUSTAINED 23
TIMES MORE. HI. IMPACT HITS TO
THE HEAD, THEN CHILDREN WHO PLAY
FLAG FOOTBALL. NEXT, PLEASE.
REGARDING FLAG FOOTBALL. THIS IS
THE PROBLEM YOUTH LIVING IN
COMMUNITIES CHARACTERIZED BY
LOWER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT ARE
LESS LIKELY THAN OTHER YOUTH TO
HAVE THE OPTION OF A LOWER
CONTACT ALTERNATIVE. TO TACKLE
FOOTBALL SUCH AS FLAG FOOTBALL,
AND THAT IS WHY THIS NEEDS TO
CHANGE. THERE ARE COMMUNITIES IN
AMERICA THAT DO NOT HAVE THE
ABILITY FOR THE PARENTS TO HAVE
THEIR CHILDREN PLAY. FLAG
FOOTBALL INSTEAD OF TACKLE
FOOTBALL, RELYING ON VOLUNTARY
COMMUNITY LEVEL ADOPT ADOPTION
FOR THIS RESULT IN INEQUITABLE
ACCESS TO FLAG FOOTBALL FOR
THESE KIDS, AND THEREFORE THERE
IS AN INEQUITABLE BURDEN OF
BRAIN TRAUMA IN SOCIETY. NEXT,
PLEASE. SO HIGH MAGNITUDE
IMPACTS TO THE HEAD MAY LEAD TO
A TERM CALLED QUOTE UNQUOTE MILD
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OR MTB.
AYE. AND OR CONCUSSION. SO LET'S
TALK ABOUT MTB. AYE. MTB I IS
SINGLE OR REPETITIVE INJURY.
INJURY NOT NECESSARILY HEARD
IMPACTS IN CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY
RESULTING IN TRANSIENT CHANGES
OF BRAIN FUNCTION WITH OR
WITHOUT THE DIAGNOSIS OF
CONCUSSION. SO. WHEN THERE IS
REPETITIVE INJURY AS MY ESTEEMED
COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED IT CAN
GIVE RISE TO CHRONIC TRAUMATIC
ENCEPHALOPATHY. SO THERE IS THE
BELL BEING RUNG. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. AND SO WHEN THE BELL
STOPS RINGING, THE CLAPPER IS
FELT TO BE AT MIDLINE BECAUSE
THERE'S NO DIAGNOSIS OF
CONCUSSION. HEY, GO BACK AND
PLAY. BUT YOU JUST HEARD
REPETITIVE HITS WITHOUT THE
DIAGNOSIS OF CONCUSSION. CAN
LEAD TO CITY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY
NEXT, PLEASE CONCUSSION.
CONCUSSION IS SINGLE OR
CUMULATIVE, MTB. I OCCURRING UM
. UH CAUSING CHANGES IN THE
CHILD'S BEHAVIOR. LEARNING
ABILITY. EMOTIONAL WELL BEING.
SLEEP. AND RELATIONSHIPS. AND IN
THIS EXAMPLE. THE BELL IS RUN.
AND IT KEEPS TRYING TO COME BACK
TO CENTER, AND IT JUST DOESN'T
AND THIS PATIENTS WALK AROUND,
NOT JUST FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS,
BUT FOR DAYS HAVING SYMPTOMS
NEXT, PLEASE. AND WHAT HAPPENS
IN THE BRAIN. THERE'S BEEN A LOT
OF RESEARCH IN THIS REGARD AND
CONCUSSION. THE SYMPTOMS ARE
BASICALLY CLINICAL
MANIFESTATIONS OF INFRASTRUCTURE
, UM, MICRO STRUCTURAL BRAIN
INJURIES YOU CALLED DIFFUSE
EXTERNAL INJURY AND DEEM
ALIENATION AND YOU WON'T SEE
THIS ON CT SCANS. YOU WON'T SEE
THIS ON MRI BRAINS. YOU NEED TO
GET SPECIAL MRI STUDIES THAT ARE
VERY EXPENSIVE, CALLED DIFFUSION
TENSOR IMAGING, WHICH IS NOT
ROUTINE. SO NEUROSURGEONS SEE
THESE PATIENTS OF NORMAL HEAD
CITY? NORMAL BRAID? NOT A
PROBLEM. OKAY WE NEUROLOGISTS
PICK UP THESE PATIENTS. THAT
THERE'S A PICTURE THERE OF WHAT
GOES ON IN THE BRAIN DURING THIS
AND YOU CAN SEE IT SAYS DAYS,
HOURS, WEEKS AND MONTHS,
ALRIGHT. AND THERE IS A FLUX
AFTER EACH SIGNIFICANT HIT,
RESULTING IN CONCUSSION. THIS IS
WHAT'S HAPPENING. NEXT, PLEASE.
AND THEN IN THE DEVELOPING
BRAIN. NOW GENETIC INFLUENCES
PREDOMINATE IN THE FIRST FIVE
YEARS OF LIFE, BUT AFTER FIVE
YEARS OF LIFE WHITE MATTER
DEVELOPMENT. IS VERY DEPENDENT
ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THAT CHILD.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THE ACCIDENTS IN
THE BRAIN IN DIFFUSE EXTERNAL
INJURY ARE THE BRAIN FIBERS. THE
FIBERS IN THE BRAIN ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN HUBS IN THE NETWORKS OF
THE BRAIN. WHEN THOSE
CONNECTIONS ARE HURT. YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO CONNECT WELL. WHEN THE
MYELIN IS DISRUPTED THE SPEED OF
YOUR CONNECTIONS SLOW DOWN, SO
IT IMPACTS LEARNING IT IMPACTS A
LOT OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES.
REGULATION IS A BIG THING. SO
WHITE MATTER DEVELOPMENT
PROCEEDS AND ONLY BASED ON
EXPERIENCE. THEREFORE, IF YOU'RE
GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF IMPACTS
TO THE WHITE MATTER DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY
DIFFERENT BRAIN. I DON'T CARE
WHAT AGES START. THAT'S WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN. AND AGAIN. MY
ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE SLIDES SAY
THAT THAT NOTABLY THE MAJOR
GENETIC FACTOR FOR ALZHEIMER
DISEASE, CALLED THE APRIL E FOR
KHALIL HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH
ALTERED EARLY BRAIN MEILIN
ATION. AND LARGE, UM
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ARE
SAYING THAT THE ONSET OF FRONTAL
TEMPORAL DEMENTIA NEVER MIND C T
E BUT FRONT OF TEMPORAL
DEMENTIA. UM IS A RISK FACTOR
FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A LOT
OF PROBLEMS WITH MYELIN
DEVELOPMENT AND HEAD TRAUMA.
DEXT. SO NORMAL WHITE MATTER
DEVELOPMENT IS POSITIVELY
CORRELATED WITH EDUCATIONAL
INVOCATION, ATTAINMENT AND
FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENTAL
INFLUENCES WERE SLOWER OR
IMPAIRED WHITE MITER DEVELOPMENT
IS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY
DEPRIVATION AND NEGATIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES. NEXT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IN MY CLINIC?
THEY COME TO ME WITH NOT DOING
WELL AT SCHOOL. NOT SLEEPING.
WELL HEADACHES. THESE ARE THE
SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION ON YOUR
LEFT. THIS IS CALLED THE RIVER
MADE CONCUSSION QUESTIONNAIRE
VERY HELPFUL TO LET ME KNOW HOW
SEVERE THEY ARE. 0 TO 4 AND THE
DURATION OF SYMPTOMS NEXT,
PLEASE. THE SYMPTOMS ARE BECAUSE
THE PART OF THE BRAIN THAT GETS
IMPACTED IS THE TOP OF THE
BRAINSTEM AND IT IT DOESN'T
MATTER WHETHER YOU HIT SOMEBODY
HERE OR WHETHER YOU ARE FLUNG TO
THE GROUND AND HAVE A
ROTATIONAL. UM OR A SIDEWAYS OR
FORWARD. CHILDREN'S. NEXT ARE
VERY WEAK. THEIR TORSOS ARE
SMALLER. IT'S LIKE A LOLLIPOP ON
THE LOLLIPOP STICK AND THEY ARE
MORE PRONE TO THESE INJURIES.
NEXT, PLEASE. SO I DIAGNOSED
THEM IN MY CLINIC WITH EITHER
POST CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS WHEN
THEY SYMPTOMS. FOLLOW A HEAD
INJURY. YOU NEED TO HAVE AN
ASSOCIATION OF HEAD INJURY AND,
UM THEY BASICALLY RECOVER
MAGICIAN, THE MAJORITY OF THEM
66% RECOVER IN THREE MONTHS.
BUT, UM. OVER 95% OF THEM HAVE
NORMAL ROUTINE CITY IN MEMORY
AND THE OTHER 5% ARE NORMAL
VARIANTS. NEXT, PLEASE.
PERSISTENT POST CONCUSSION
SYMPTOMS. THE CONCUSSION
SYMPTOMS, UH. PERSIST BEYOND
THREE MONTHS, AND THAT'S THE
ONLY DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU
CONTINUE DEFICIT TIMES BEYOND
THREE MONTHS. YOUR QUALITY OF
LIFE GOES WAY DOWN. UP TO 33% OF
A STUDY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS
WITH MY SO CALLED MILD TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURY. WHO HAD SYMPTOMS
SEVERE ENOUGH TO WARRANT A HEAD
CT SCAN WERE FOLLOWED UP TO 33%
OF THEM CONTINUE TO HAVE
PERSISTENT POST CONCUSSION
SYMPTOMS. UP TO 25% OF THOSE
REMAINED IMPAIRED 12 MONTHS. SO
THIS IS RATHER SIGNIFICANT NEXT,
PLEASE. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL. THERE
WERE INVESTIGATIONS USING THAT
TENSOR IMAGING WITH MRI SPECIAL
TECHNIQUE ON THE SUB CONCUSSIVE
IMPACT EXPOSURES AND WHITE
MATTER TRACKED CHANGES JUST IN
THE SEASON OF FOOTBALL. AND THEY
HAD ETCETERA METERS IN THE
HELMETS OF THESE KIDS, AND THERE
WAS A CLEAR ASSOCIATION, AS MY
OTHER COLLEAGUES SAID BETWEEN
THE EFFECTS OF THESE WHITE
MATTER CHANGES AND THE NUMBER OF
TIMES THEY GOT. UM IMPACTED BY
THEIR PLAY. AND THIS IS IN THE
ABSENCE. OF A DIAGNOSIS OF
CONCUSSION. YOU ARE CHANGING
YOUR BRAIN EVERY TIME YOU HAVE
HAD IMPACTS. REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER YOU GET DIAGNOSED
CONCUSSION OR NOT. AND THIS IS
JUST A MATTER OF IMAGING. AND
THEN A JUDGE OF THE X H OF X
FIRST EXPOSURE TO AMERICAN
FOOTBALL AND LONG TERM
NEUROPSYCHIATRIC AND COGNITIVE
OUTCOMES HAS BEEN CLEARLY SHOWN
TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATION. AND I'LL
SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THAT THE FINAL
SLIDE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
SLIDE. NEXT, PLEASE. THIS IS, UM
A SUMMARY OF THE. PEOPLE WHO
HAVE DECEASED FROM TACKLE
FOOTBALL AS ADULTS, AND, UM THIS
STUDY LOOKED AT THE UH, BRAINS
OF THESE INDIVIDUALS IN EUROPE,
PATHOLOGICALLY AND THE
NEUROPATHOLOGIST DID THEIR EXAMS
AND THEN CLINICIANS INTERVIEWED.
THE RELATIVES WHO KNEW THESE
INDIVIDUALS AT LEAST 20 YEARS.
THE AVERAGE IS 40 YEARS. OR
MORE, AND, UM GOT THE CLINICAL
PICTURE OF HOW THEY WERE DOING
BEFORE THEY DIED. AND ALSO THEY
ASKED THE QUESTION AT WHAT AGE
DID THEY START PLAYING AMERICAN
FOOTBALL TACKLE FOOTBALL? AND
THEY FOUND OUT THAT ALTHOUGH
THERE WAS NO DEFINITE CHANGE IN
PATHOLOGY BETWEEN AGE OF ONSET
AND. UM OF PLAYING TACKLE
FOOTBALL AND THE DEGREE OF
PATHOLOGY. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS
THAT INDIVIDUALS EXPOSED TO
TACKLE FOOTBALL BEFORE AGE 12
WERE LIKELY TO DIE EARLIER.
WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE. ONSET OF
SYMPTOMS OF CITY E 13 YEARS.
EARLIER THAN INDIVIDUALS WHO
STARTED PLAYING TACKLE FOOTBALL
. AFTER AGE 12 YEARS. THEIR
CONCLUSIONS ARE THAT THE
RESILIENCY FACTOR OF THE YOUNGER
BRAIN IS CLEARLY NOT THERE
COMPARED TO THE RESILIENCY OF
THE MORE MATURE BRAIN. WHEN
TACKLE FOOTBALL. IT STARTED TO
BE PLAYED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
. AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE WILL
GO AHEAD TO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS
. ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S I'LL ASK A
FEW. AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO
CHIME IN OKAY? AH NOT IN ANY
PARTICULAR ORDER, SO I WILL GO
AHEAD AND START WITH DR LEGARDA.
UM YOUR PRESENTATION SAYS THAT
YOUTH LEVIN IN COMMUNITIES
CHARACTERIZED BY LOW EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT ARE LESS LIKELY THAN
OTHER USED TO HAVE THE OPTION OF
A LOWER CONTACT ALTERNATIVE TO
TACKLE LIKE TACKLE FOOTBALL,
MEANING THAT FLAG FOOTBALL IS
MORE ACCESSIBLE OPTION IN AREAS
WITH HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT. CAN YOU KIND OF
EXPAND ON THAT? AND HOW YOU GOT
THAT DATA? SO ALL MY DATA COMES
FROM ARTICLES WHICH I HAVE
PLACED IN A FOLDER, WHICH I DID
SUBMIT TO BRIAN, AND IT COMES
FROM A SPECIFIC ARTICLE THAT WAS
PUBLISHED THAT CAME TO THIS
CONCLUSION. AND WHEN I READ THAT
IT'S WHAT MADE ME WANT TO DO
THIS PRESENTATION. AND I DO WANT
TO NOTE THAT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE
ATTENDING. I WANT TO THANK OUR
CONSULTANTS HERE, BRIAN
HENDERSON AND, UH, TABATHA. HOW
DO YOU SAY YOUR LAST NAME SO I
DON'T MESS IT UP VOGEL SEUIN FOR
PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, ALL THE
POWER POINTS AND SO FORTH ARE IN
HERE. UH SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS
BEEN A LOT OF WORK PUT INTO
THIS. AH SO YOU YOU GAVE US THAT
DATA, BUT ON IF YOU WERE, UH.
JUST FOCUSING ON CALIFORNIA, AND
YOU WERE A PARENT OF A SIX YEAR
OLD WHEN MOST PARENTS GO TO
PARKS AND RECREATION OR GO TO
POP WARNER, OR HOW TO MOST
PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT
IF THERE'S ONE OR TWO CHOICES IN
THEIR COMMUNITIES. I DON'T THINK
PEOPLE KNOW THEY HAVE A CHOICE.
NO. BUT THERE ARE SOME
COMMUNITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA
AND PROBABLY UNITED STATES THAT
OFFER BOTH PROBABLY. I'M NOT AT
THAT LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING. I SEE
THEM AFTER THEIR INJURIES, AND I
DON'T DO THE HOMEWORK TO FIND
OUT. UM WELL, WHY ISN'T YOUR KID
PLAYING TACKLE FOOTBALL? THAT'S
KIND OF I MEAN, FLAG FOOTBALL,
UM, THAT THAT WOULD BE
ACCUSATORY ON MY PART. THANK
YOU. AH AH AND THEN FOR SORRY.
DR CAMARILLO. YOU. HAD A LOT OF
INFORMATION ON HELMETS. AND YET
, YOU SAID, THERE'S STILL QUITE
A BIT OF WORK THAT COULD BE DONE
WITH. THE YOUNGER AGES, LIKE CAN
YOU EXPAND ON THAT OF ARE YOU
SEEING THAT, UH KIND OF VISION
COMING FORWARD AS FAR AS
DEVELOPMENT OF THESE, JUST SAY,
SIX THROUGH 12 YEAR OLD TYPE OF
HELMETS. IS THE ORGANIZATION.
THAT DOES STANDARDS FOR HELMETS.
KNOXY THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW. A
DRAFT STANDARD HASN'T BEEN
RATIFIED YET FOR YOUTH FOOTBALL,
AND WHAT IT WILL DO IS IT WILL
BASICALLY TEST SO ONE THING IT
WILL DO TO REDUCE THE WEIGHT OF
THE YOUTH FOOTBALL HELMETS, SO
THERE WILL BE A WEIGHT LIMIT,
WHICH THERE ISN'T CURRENTLY NOW.
THE OTHER THING IS, THEY'LL TEST
THE HELMETS AT LOWER VELOCITIES
, WHICH WE KNOW THAT THE YOUTH
EXPERIENCE LOWER VELOCITIES, AND
BY THE WAY, THIS NEEDS TO BE
RATIFIED, SO I DON'T KNOW THIS
IS GOING TO HAPPEN OR WHEN IT
WILL HAPPEN, AND IT WILL ALSO
PROVIDE A LOWER CRITERIA,
MEANING YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOWER
ACCELERATIONS. THEN THE ADULT
HELMETS AND ADOLESCENT ADULT
HELMETS FOR THEM TO PASS THE
STANDARD. UM SO I MEAN, I GUESS
ONE THING I SHOULD MENTION ABOUT
KNOXY, UM, THEIR INDUSTRY
ORGANIZATION. THEY'RE FUNDED BY
THE HELMET INDUSTRY. UM SO THEY
ARE SEEN IN THEIR STANDARDS
MAKING PROCESS. THEY'RE NOT
GOING TO MAKE A STANDARD OF THE
INDUSTRY CAN'T MEET OR IT'S ARE.
YOU KNOW THERE, THERE'S A
TENSION BETWEEN PUSHING TO TRY
TO IMPROVE THE HELMETS. AND NOT
, YOU KNOW, HAVING ALL THEIR
MEMBERS WHO ARE PAYING THE BILLS
. UM YOU KNOW, LOSE A BUNCH OF
BUSINESS. SO I DON'T I'M NOT
SURE THAT KNOXY ON ITS OWN IS
GOING TO MAKE THE STANDARDS
STRONG ENOUGH TO, UM MAKE YOU
FOOTBALL SAFE AS WE COULD. I
THINK THAT THIS IDEA OF RATINGS
KIND OF WHAT WE DO WITH NEW CARS
. UH, IT WOULD BE A BETTER WAY
AND MORE EFFECTIVE WAY FOR
CONSUMERS TO KNOW WHAT'S A SAFER
HELMET. WHAT'S WHAT'S NOT A
SAFETY HELMET. ANOTHER THING I
SHOULD MENTION ANOTHER PROBLEM
WITH THE HELMET INDUSTRY IS THE
PARENTS OFTEN ARE NOT THE ONES
THAT ARE PURCHASING THE HELMETS.
IT'S THE LEAGUES. AND SO THE
PARENTS DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH
CHOICE. AND THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH
KNOWLEDGE, EITHER. SO AT LEAST
IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE
BACK OF THE HELMET THAT HAD THE
NUMBER OF STARS LIKE YOU SAW IN
THE NEW CAR, AND ONCE THE LEAGUE
HANDS IT DOWN TO THE PARENT, THE
PARENT AT LEAST HAS SOMETHING
THEY CAN SEE SOMETHING THEY CAN
TALK TO THE COACH OR TALK TO THE
COMMISSIONER ABOUT. I THINK THAT
WOULD THAT WOULD HELP. BUT
THERE'S BEEN THERE'S BEEN ALMOST
NOTHING UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS. AND THEN AGAIN, I KNOW
THIS IS GETTING REALLY INTO THE
WEEDS, BUT WHETHER IT'S DOWNHILL
SKIING, UH, SOME OF THESE OTHER
IMPACT SPORTS, AND EITHER OF YOU
CAN ANSWER IT, UH, MOTORCROSS,
SOME OF THESE SPORTS WHERE THEY
ARE WEARING DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HELMETS AND WE KNOW AND WE'VE
SEEN THEM. WE JUST HAVE THE
OLYMPICS. WHAT THE DOWNHILL
SEEMS SOME PRETTY MAJOR IMPACTS
. ARE THERE ANY TAKING OF SOME
OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY ON THEIR
HELMETS? YOU MENTIONED LIKE A
PROTOTYPE OF A WATER. I MEAN,
ARE THERE THINGS THAT JUST
AREN'T BEING DONE WHERE YOU
COULD TAKE OTHER HELMETS OR
EITHER ONE OR BOTH. POTENTIALLY
THAT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN YOU KNOW, FOOTBALL
HOCKEY AND SOME OF THESE OTHER
HIGH COLLISION SPORTS WHERE THE
HELMETS NEED TO SUSTAIN MULTIPLE
COLLISIONS. UM DOWNHILL SKIING,
BICYCLING MOTORCYCLING. YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO DISCARD YOUR HELMET
AFTER A SINGLE USE RIGHT. SO, UM
. MOST OF AND THERE ARE SOME
NEWER TECHNOLOGIES AGAIN JUST IN
THE RECENT FEW YEARS THAT ARE
COMING OUT FOR THOSE OTHER OTHER
DOMAINS. BUT THEY'RE ALMOST ALL
SINGLE IMPACT, SO WHETHER THEY
CAN BE TRANSLATED TO MULTIPLE
IMPACT, NOT A LOT OF THEM. UM
AND I WOULD SAY THAT FOOTBALL IS
ACTUALLY AT THE NFL AND ADULT
LEVEL HAS BEEN LEADING THE WAY.
THE OTHER. THESE OTHER
INDUSTRIES ARE KIND OF FALL
FOLLOWING BEHIND, SO THEY'RE
STARTING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AS
WELL. UM I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S
IT SAYS MUCH FOR THOSE OTHER
INDUSTRIES, BUT THAT'S THAT'S
KIND OF WHAT I'VE OBSERVED
DOCTOR. CAN I JUST? YES LET'S
ALL KEEP IN MIND WHY HELMETS
ARMY BEING MADE IN THE FIRST
PLACE. HELMETS ARE TO PREVENT
PHYSICAL, BAD INJURIES TO THE TO
THE HEAD AND THE BRAIN. THAT'S
WHAT THEY DO. THEY CAN NEVER
PREVENT. WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE
BRAIN, WHICH IS INSIDE A FLUID
FILLED CAVITY AND THE SKULL AND
IT'S JUST. UNLESS YOU CAN DO
ZERO GRAVITY DYNAMICS. I DON'T
SEE HOW YOU CAN PREVENT THAT. I
AGREE. I DISAGREE WITH THAT. UM
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S MCCARTY. YEAH
JUST MAYBE ON THAT SAME TRAIN OF
THOUGHTS. SO FOR A DOCTOR
CAMARILLO AND JUST I'M I WANT TO
DIG INTO THIS ABOUT THE HELMET
AND I'M KIND OF THINKING THAT
IT'S KIND OF LIKE CIGARETTES IS
THAT YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY
THEY SMOKE CIGARETTES WITHOUT
THE FILTER, AND THEN THEY GOT A
FILTER AND SAYS YOU'RE BETTER
OFF WITH THE FILTER. YOU DON'T
GET AS MUCH DAMAGE BECAUSE WE
FILTER OUT THE HARMFUL ELEMENTS
TO YOUR BODY, AND WE LATER
REALIZED DECADES LATER THAT NONE
OF THAT REALLY MATTERS. SO WITH
THE HELMET AS, UM, THE NEUROLOGY
ASSOCIATION SAID. IT PROTECTS
THE SKULL AND NOT THE BRAIN. SO
YOU KNOW, I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT
THIS BECAUSE I DID THIS. I DID
THE BILL ON CONCUSSION PROTOCOL
AND I MEAN 2000. I THINK, 16. I
MET DR OMALU RIGHT OUT HERE AND
HE SAID HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS
IS BEFORE THE MOVIE CAME OUT, HE
SAID, UM REMEMBER, HE LIKED THAT
THING IN THE MOVIE. HE'S LIKE,
YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE HELMET AND
THE BRAIN IS THE PIECE OF BREAD
AND IT JUST IT PROTECTS THE
GLASS FROM BEING BROKEN. BUT THE
BRAIN STILL HITS THE OUTSIDE OF
THE SCHOOL. AND THAT'S THE
DAMAGE AND SO THE HELMET I MEAN,
I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN
THE NINERS DID BUBBA PARIS IN
THE EIGHTIES, AND HE HAD A BUNCH
OF CONCUSSIONS AS BIG STYROFOAM
THING, WAS HELMET AND GET USED
TO LAUGH AT HIM AND JOHN MADDEN
KIND OF MADE FUN OF IT BECAUSE
IT FELL OFF HIS HELMET. BUT YOU
KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE ISSUE.
THEN IT'S THE ISSUE NOW. AND SO
I'M KIND OF AT A LOSS FOR THIS
WHOLE THING. IS IT THE SCORE?
AND PROTECTING CONCUSSIONS OR
THE BRAIN INSIDE THE THING THAT
MATTERS, THE MOST WITH WITH CT
BECAUSE NOT CONCUSSIONS. THAT'S
THE IN GAME PROBLEM WITH HEALTH
OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS. IT'S
CTE WELL, SO. YOUR LAST POINT OF
DEBATE. I DON'T THINK IT'S CLEAR
THAT CONCUSSIONS. I DON'T I
DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS
SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS TO
CONCUSSIONS. DON'T MATTER FOR
BRAIN DISEASE. I DON'T I DON'T I
DON'T BELIEVE THAT. UM THE I
THINK THERE'S A CONFUSION HERE
THAT I WANT TO TRY TO CLEAR UP.
SO HELMET, THE ORIGINAL INTENT
OF HELMET STANDARDS, INCLUDING,
I SHOWED YOU WAS TO DO WHAT YOU
SAID IT'S TO PROTECT THE SCHOOL.
THAT WAS WHAT THESE HELMETS WERE
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED, TESTED AND
APPROVED FOR THAT IS CHANGING,
AND IT'S POSSIBLE FOR A HELMET
TO DO BOTH TO PROTECTIVE SKULL
AND THE BRAIN. BUT WHAT I'M
SAYING IS THAT OPPORTUNITY HAS
NOT BEEN REALIZED FOR YOUTH
FOOTBALL BECAUSE UP UNTIL VERY
RECENTLY. THE ONLY THING THEY'RE
DESIGNED AND TESTED FOR IS, AS
YOU SAID, TO PROTECT AGAINST THE
PROTECT THE SCHOOL. UM BUT, YOU
KNOW, WITH YOUR EXAMPLE OF, YOU
KNOW, THE BREAD AND THE WATER.
UM HOW HARD YOU SHAKE THE WATER
MATTERS, EVEN IF YOU DON'T BREAK
THE GLASS, RIGHT, SO WHAT A
HELMET CAN DO IS IT CAN
ATTENUATE AND I THINK THAT
CIGARETTE FILTER ARGUMENT IS WAY
TOO BROAD OF A STROKE. I MEAN, I
THINK YOU YOU, YOU KNOW, LOOKING
AT, UM UH, CAR CRASH SAFETY, I
THINK IS MUCH CLOSER AND MUCH
MORE CLOSELY RELATED TO, UM YOU
KNOW, TRAUMA THAT'S HAPPENING IN
THE BRAIN AND THAT THE AIRBAGS
SEATBELTS, VARIOUS DESIGN
CHANGES IN CARS HAVE MADE THEM
MUCH SAFER OVER TIME, AND I DO
THINK IT'S POSSIBLE FOR HELMETS
AS WELL. DR NOWINSKI. YOU WANT
TO TALK ABOUT THE HELMETS
SCHOOL? WELL, I'LL JUST I'LL
JUST BRIEFLY AT I THINK HELMETS
WERE FIRST BROUGHT THE SKULL.
THEY'VE GOTTEN BETTER FOR THE
BRAIN. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY
THAT THE HELMET, THE FIRST JOB
OF THE HELMET AND FOOTBALL IS TO
PROTECT ITSELF. BECAUSE YOU HAVE
TO HAVE MULTIPLE HITS AND
MULTIPLE PLACE, SO WE MENTIONED
BIKE HELMETS AND MOTORCYCLE
HELMETS MEANT TO FRACTURE AND
EXPLODE. ANTICIPATE ENERGY.
FOOTBALL HELMETS CAN'T DO THAT,
AND THEREFORE THERE WILL ALWAYS
BE SEVERE LIMITS TO HOW MUCH OF
FOOTBALL HELMET CAN PROTECT THE
BRAIN. AND SO I THINK THAT'S
WHAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN
WE THINK ABOUT CHILDREN IS THAT
FOOTBALL HELMET WILL NEVER
ELIMINATE THE RISK OF C D. YEAH,
AND I, UM FIRST OF ALL, I'LL
TALK ABOUT THE NEXT PANEL, BUT
I'M NOT AN ANTI FOOTBALL GUY.
NOW. MY KIDS ARE CHEERLEADERS. I
GO OUT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL GAMES. AND I WAS
TALKING TO SOME PARENTS LAST
WEEK, AND THEY WERE TALKING
ABOUT HELMETS. AND SO THERE'S
THIS BELIEF THAT IF YOU GET THE
BETTER HELMET, THE TEAM BUYS
HELMETS THAT YOU KNOW THE ENSURE
THE TEAM BUYS HELMETS EVERY TWO
YEARS. ON AVERAGE, SIX YEARS
WHAT HAVE YOU THEN YOU'LL BE
SAFE AND SO THAT IT WILL MAKE
YOU SAFE ARE RIGHT, BUT IT'S NOT
NECESSARILY SAFE FROM THE
REPETITIVE HITS AND I GUESS
THAT'S THAT'S THE ISSUE.
CORRECT. YOU KNOW, IN THE IN THE
ARTICLE THAT DOCTOR MINSKY AND
HIS TEAM RECENTLY PUBLISHED
WHETHER I SHOWED A SLIDE ON IT
WAS THEY THEY LOOKED AT BOTH. IT
WAS THE NUMBER AND THE SEVERITY
. SO UM, I THINK THAT AS FAR AS
WE KNOW, BOTH ARE IMPORTANT,
IT'S NOT ONE OR THE OTHER. IT'S
BOTH. AND I HAD A SERIES OF
QUESTIONS NOW FOR DR NOWINSKI.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
HEAR WHEN WE BRING UP THIS
DEBATE ABOUT YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL. IS WHY FOOTBALL? WHY
NOT? SWIMMING WATER POLO, YOU
KNOW, SOCCER, YOU KNOW,
GYMNASTICS, CHEERLEADING GIRLS
FALL OFF THE STUNT. SO WHY WHY
ZERO IN ON YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL
TRY TO ADDRESS THAT, WITH THE
SLIDE, LOOKING AT OTHER MAJOR
TEAM SPORTS THAT OTHER SPORTS
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES
TO ELIMINATE PURPOSEFUL,
REPETITIVE HEAD IMPACTS IN THEIR
SPORTS ACROSS ICE HOCKEY. SOCCER
UM, YOU KNOW, FOOTBALL IS ONE
WHO HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A
CHANGE BECAUSE IT CANNOT MAKE
THAT CHANGE ITSELF. IT DOES
REQUIRE AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE.
BECAUSE THE YOUTH HOPE THERE'S
NO GOVERNING BODY THAT CONTROLS
YOUTH FOOTBALL, AND ALL THE
YOUTH FOOTBALL ORGANIZATIONS ARE
ESSENTIALLY SMALL CAPITALIST
ORGANIZATIONS COMPETING FOR
ENROLLMENT. AND SO THEREFORE
THEY'RE ALL RACING TO THE BOTTOM
OF HOW EARLY CAN YOU GET ENOUGH
KIDS TO FIELD A TEAM WHERE THEY
CAN ACTUALLY REMEMBER THE PLACE
AND THAT'S WHY WE STARTED FOUR
OR FIVE RATHER THAN YOUNGERS AT
THREE. THEY CAN'T REMEMBER THE
PLACE. BUT YOU CAN HAVE KIDS
START AT FOUR OR FIVE BECAUSE
THEY CAN SO IT'S NOT TO PICK ON
FOOTBALL. BUT FOOTBALL FROM OUR
RESEARCH IN THE US HAS THE
BIGGEST CT PROBLEM THAT WE KNOW
OF. THAT'S MORE FULL OF PLAYERS
BEING DIAGNOSED WITH CTE IN IN
AMERICA THAN ANY OTHER SPORT BY
ORDERS OF 10 OR 20 TIMES, AND SO
, UM, AND THE OTHER INTERESTING
THING ABOUT FOOTBALL IS FOOTBALL
IS A NATURAL CAP AND HOW LONG
YOU PLAY? SO UH, 95% OF ALL
PLAYERS WILL NEVER PLAY AFTER 18
. AND THAT'S BECAUSE I THINK AT
THAT AGE WE START TO LEARN HOW
DANGEROUS IT REALLY IS. AND
THERE'S A REASON WHY DAVID AND I
DON'T PUT ON HER HELMET TO GO
PLAY ON THE WEEKENDS IS BECAUSE
WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF
OUR BRAIN AS WE GET OLDER, AND
SO UNLESS YOU'RE GETTING PAID,
THERE'S ALMOST NO FOOTBALL
PLAYERS IN AMERICA PLAY OVER 18
SO FOOTBALL ALSO HAS A MAGICAL
SOLUTION TO THE CT PROBLEM,
WHICH IS IF YOU WAITED UNTIL 14
95% OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYERS
TO PLAY FOUR YEARS OR FEWER, AND
YOU HAVE A VERY LOW RISK OF CTE
BY PLAYING JUST FOUR YEARS OR
FEWER, AND YOU HAVE SOCCER ICE
HOCKEY. PEOPLE KEEP PLAYING
THEIR WHOLE LIVES BECAUSE YOU
KNOW THEY'RE THEY'RE DIFFERENT
SPORTS ZERO IN ON THAT, BECAUSE
THAT'S ONE OF MY THAT'S MY NEXT
QUESTION. SO WE GOT A LOT OF
QUESTIONS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
SUCH A CUT OFF WHETHER IT'S
CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, NEW YORK,
THIS IS NOT PENNSYLVANIA IS NOT
JUST TO CALIFORNIA. DEBATE AND
THAT THERE IS AN ARBITRARY AGE
OF WHETHER IT'S 13 12 14. SO
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS TWOFOLD.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT ONE THAT THE
BRAINS OF SEVEN JUST AREN'T AS
STRONG WITH THAT? SPRAINED BODY
BALANCE OF BOBBLEHEAD IMPACT,
PLUS THAT THERE'S THE NUMBER OF
YEARS YOU WILL PLAY. DIMINISH IF
YOU START AT 14. SO THAT'S WHY
YOU PICKED THIS NUMBER. CAN YOU
GO AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY, YES, IT WAS. PART OF PART
OF IT IS BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. YOU
KNOW, THE AGES. 9 TO 12 IS
PROBABLY THE WORST TIME TO BE
HITTING A CHILD IN THE HEAD
HUNDREDS OF TIMES, YOU WILL
CHANGE WHO THEY BECOME. I
THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT
STATEMENT. UM, THERE IS THE
BIOMECHANICAL PERSPECTIVES THAT
YOUR YOUR BODY CATCHES UP TO
YOUR HEAD. I MEAN, I REMEMBER
PLAYING UM, YOU CAN'T GET INTO A
WEIGHT ROOM. IN MOST PLACES
UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT BECAUSE
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR JOINT
DEVELOPMENT. BUT BUT. THINK
ABOUT THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU
PLAY FOOTBALL, ONE WAY TO GET
YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE PLAY IS TO
BE ABLE TO PUSH PEOPLE SO YOU
CAN'T EVEN GO BENCH PRESS
BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS TO
PROTECT YOURSELF AND FOOTBALL AS
A BLOCKER. THAT'S THAT'S THAT IS
CRAZY TO ME. SO THAT'S PART OF
AS WELL AND THEN OVERSIGHT RIGHT
? I CALIFORNIA INTERSCHOLASTIC
FEDERATION HAS OVERSIGHT. WHAT
DO YOU DO FOOTBALL THROUGH
SCHOOLS? AT LEAST THERE'S MORE
OVERSIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE THAT
SAME OVERSIGHT. NECESSARILY
THROUGH YOUTH FOOTBALL, THE SAME
TRAINING FOR COACHES ALL THOSE
THINGS. SO UM, THAT AND I DO.
LOOK AT THIS AS, UM, A DRIVING
ISSUE. THERE IS NO PERFECT AGE,
RIGHT? IT IS A RISK REWARD ISSUE
, JUST LIKE THERE'S NO PERFECT
AGE WE TAKE KIDS CAN START
DRIVING CARS. WE LOOK AT THE
DATA, WHICH IS THE BEST RISK
REWARD FOR THEM, AND I THINK
THAT BUT I THINK THAT BEST
WHISKEY WARD STARTS AT 14. I'M
OPEN TO 13 OR 12. BUT ONCE YOU
START GETTING BELOW THAT, I
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
BENEFITS ARE. THE KIDS THAT ARE
WORTH C T E FOR KIDS. COUPLE
MORE QUESTIONS HERE. UM AND I
DON'T WANT TO PREEMPT. OUR
SECOND PANEL IS GOING TO TALK
ABOUT THIS LAW IN CALIFORNIA.
IT'S FOUR YEARS OLD, WHICH I
SUPPORTED FOR TO BRING MORE
SAFETY TO FOOTBALL LEAGUES. SB
ONE. SO IS YOUR CONCERN THAT, UM
. THAT IT'S THAT'S NOT ENOUGH
PROTECTIONS IN THERE OR THAT
SOME LEAGUES AND PROGRAMS JUST
WON'T FOLLOW THE RULES. AND OF
ITSELF. GIVE ME EXAMPLE I ASKED
THE YOUTH. TACKLE FOOTBALL
LEAGUE JUST LAST WEEK. YOU KNOW
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR AREA
WITH FLAG VERSUS TACKLING GET TO
THERE, AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS
ISSUE AND THEY'RE THEY'RE TORN.
THEY SEE, I SEE IT BOTH WAYS. UM
AND THEY SAY ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NEW
RULES, I KNOW COACHES IN OUR
AREA HERE. THEY'RE STILL DOING
OKLAHOMA DRILLS. UM AND IT FEELS
YOU DON'T KNOW THAT'S WHEN YOU
JUST PUT THE KIDS ABOUT DANCING
BAM! AND SO LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW,
MOST PROGRAMS HAVE STOPPED THAT
AND BC ON TIKTOK EVERY NOW AND
THEN. SO I MEAN TO ASK THE
QUESTION AGAIN IS THE CONCERN OF
YOU AND OTHER ADVOCATES THAT IT
THAT IS POLICIES DON'T GO FAR
ENOUGH AND HAVE REAL PROTECTIONS
OR THAT PEOPLE IGNORE THEM IN
THE FIRST PLACE THAT THEY DON'T
GO FAR ENOUGH THAT THE RULES I'M
CONCERNED IN THIS DISCUSSION
ABOUT PREVENTING CTE IN ANY
SPORT WHERE YOU ASK A CHILD TO
TACKLE ANOTHER CHILD IS
INEVITABLY GOING TO RESULT IN
REPETITIVE HEAD IMPACTS. THERE'S
JUST NO WAY AROUND THAT NO
AMOUNT OF TRAINING IS GOING TO
TEACH HER SEVEN YEAR OLD HAD
TACKLED BETTER THAN NFL PLAYER
AND KEEP HIS HEAD OUT OF EVERY
IMPACT. SO BASICALLY THE IDEA IS
WE DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR. NOW
THAT WE'VE SEEN 1000 CASES OF CT
IN AMERICA OVER THE LAST 15
YEARS AT THE BèC T CENTER TO BE
EXPOSING ANY CHILDREN TO THE
THING THAT CAUSES CTE, WHICH IS
REPETITIVE HEAD IMPACTS, SO OUR
CAMPAIGN THAT WE STARTED LAST
YEAR CALLED STOP HITTING KIDS IN
THE HEAD. AND SO EVEN IF YOU PUT
ALL THE PRACTICE THINGS IN PLACE
IN GAMES, KIDS ARE STILL GOING
TO BE GETTING HIT IN THE HEAD
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN
DOING THE ACTIVITY WERE
INSTRUCTING THEM TO DO AND SO
THE REASON WHY I DON'T THINK THE
BILL GOES FAR ENOUGH. IS THOSE
SOME OF THOSE KIDS PLAYING WILL
STILL BE GETTING CTE IN THOSE
GAMES AND PRACTICES UNDER THESE
GUIDELINES, AND THE ONLY WAY
AROUND THAT IS TO ELIMINATE THE
TACKLING PART OF THE GAME, AND
THAT WOULD MEAN MOVING TO FLAG.
TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND MOVE THE
NEXT PANEL. ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE HEAR QUITE OFTEN IS THAT
UNLIKE TOBACCO, THERE'S NO
CRYSTAL CLEAR RESEARCH HERE, AND
WE'VE ALL HEARD IF THERE'S
RESEARCH IS GROWING EVERY YEAR,
IT'S MORE AND MORE. AND YOU KNOW
IF YOU LOOK BACK AT HISTORY, 6
75 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, DR
SMOKING TOBACCO AND YOU KNOW,
EVEN IN THIS LEGISLATIVE HEARING
ROOM, I'VE SEEN PICTURES OF
MEMBERS UP HERE IN THE DIET
SMOKING AND THEN TIME WENT ON,
WERE LIKE I CAN'T BELIEVE WE DID
THAT. SO MAYBE HISTORY WILL SHOW
. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT CAL THAT
WE DID THIS, BUT THAT BEING
SAID, THERE'S NO TOTAL CLARITY
TODAY. AND SO WHAT WOULD YOU AND
CTE IS A VERY RARE THING TO
EVALUATE. YOU DON'T EVALUATE
UNTIL SOMEONE'S GONE. YOU CAN
EVALUATE SOMEBODY TOUR THEIR A C
L. OR THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, HEART
DISEASE. WHAT HAVE YOU WHEN
THEY'RE ALIVE, SO THIS ONE IS AT
THE END, WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE
THE BRAIN BACON AND THE RESEARCH
THAT YOU ALL DO. SO WHAT? HOW
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND THAT WE
THAT WE THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE
ENOUGH RESEARCH. TO MAKE, UH
CERTAIN. DIRECTIVE ON SUCH AN
IMPORTANT TOPIC AND YOUTH AND
CHOICE AND PARENTS AND KIDS.
YEAH I WOULD. I WOULD ANSWER IN
TWO WAYS. FIRST IS THE ETHICAL
QUESTION, WHICH IS? SHOULD
CHILDREN BE ABLE TO DO AN
ACTIVITY WHICH THE SCIENTIFIC
CONSENSUS FROM CDC NIH SAYS
CAUSES CTE SHOULD THEY BE ABLE
TO GET CTE THROUGH A SPORT? I
WOULD SAY NO. WE SHOULD NOT BE
PUTTING KIDS IN THE SPORTS THAT
WE KNOW SOME OF THEM WILL CAUSE
CTE. THE SECOND POINT, WHICH IS
IMPORTANT ONE. YOU KNOW, I I'M A
BIG FAN OF DR CAMARILLO,
CAMARILLO, AND YOU KNOW WE'RE
VERY FRIENDLY. BUT THERE WAS ONE
SORT OF NONSCIENTIFIC FRAMING OF
THE DISCUSSION OF THE YOUTH
FOOTBALL DATA, AND THAT'S THE
LABEL OF CALLING IT YOUTH
FOOTBALL DATA. SO THIS HAS BEEN
A SORT OF A TECHNIQUE WHERE THE
YOUTH FOOTBALL INDUSTRY TO SAY
WE HAVE YOU ONLY STUDY KIDS WHO
PLAYED IN YOUTH. UM THERE'S YOU
CAN'T NECESSARILY FIND THE SAME
RELATIONSHIP WHEN YOU STUDY
FOOTBALL PLAYERS OVER THEIR
WHOLE CAREER, AND IF YOU DID,
IT'S THAT'S AN UNSCIENTIFIC WAY
OF LOOKING AT THE EXPOSURE. THE
EXPOSURE IS PLAYING FOOTBALL
YEARS OF PLAY, AND WE SEE A
VERY, VERY CLEAR NO. ONE
QUESTIONS. DOSE RESPONSE BETWEEN
NUMBER OF YEARS OF PLAY, WHICH
IS A PROXY FOR NUMBER OF HITS
AND THE STRENGTH OF THOSE HITS.
BUT IF WE REDUCE IT DOWN TO
WELL, IF YOU ONLY PLAYED A J
EIGHT, WE DON'T SEE THE CT
RESCUE. WE ONLY LOOK AT AGE
NINE, CALLING IT YOUTH. FOOTBALL
IS A FALSE LABEL. IT'S FOOTBALL
AND ITS YEARS OF PLAY. IF WE
STUDY PEOPLE ONLY PLAYED ONE
YEAR WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T SEE A
CT RISK. WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE
WHO PLAYED TWO YEARS WE PROBABLY
WOULDN'T BE SEATED AND SEE THAT
DOSE RESPONSE CURVE. BUT WHEN
YOU LOOK AT TOTAL CAREERS, YOU
SEE THE DOSE RESPONSE CURVE.
IT'S BLACK AND WHITE. AND NO
ONE'S QUESTIONING THAT. SO WE
WERE WHEN WE SAY YOUTH FOOTBALL
SAFE. IT'S UNDER THIS ABSURD
PREMISE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING
TO PLAY IN HIGH SCHOOL AND
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PLAY IN
COLLEGE AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO
GO ON TO PLAY IN THE NFL. AND
THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS GAME IS
DESIGNED TO DO. THESE COACHES
ARE THERE TO MAKE THEM GOOD AT
FOOTBALL, MAKE THEM LOVE
FOOTBALL, TRAIN THEM AND RETAIN
THEM AND SORT OF PUT A KID ON
THAT PATH, STARTING AT FIVE OR
SIX YEARS OLD AND GO WELL, IF
YOU START BY 10, YOU'RE SAFE.
BUT IF YOU'RE GOOD, AND YOU LIKE
IT IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL START,
YOU'RE SCREWED. THAT IS NOT I
DON'T THINK A GOOD SYSTEM. AND A
FAIR SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN. SO
CALLING IT FOR YOUTH FOOTBALL
DOESN'T COST ET HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL DOESN'T COST. SEE, THEY
ALL PLAYED THIS GAME WHERE
THEY'RE LIKE IT WAS THE
FOOTBALL. THEY DIDN'T PLAY FOR
US. AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S A
FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE
FOOTBALL INDUSTRY THAT IT'S ALL
THESE LITTLE FIEFDOMS WHO DON'T
CARE ABOUT WHAT THE OTHER ONES
ARE DOING. AND THE LOSERS HERE
ARE THE KIDS. OKAY LAST QUESTION
IS ON THE QUESTION THAT
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S QUIRK-SILVA
ASKED. THE FIRST IS A FLAG AND
ITS AVAILABILITY AND I THINK
IT'S EVOLVING. I JUST LOOKED
WHILE SHE WAS ASKING, LIKE IN
THE HOT AREAS OF SACRAMENTO,
WHERE I KNOW THEY HAVE ROBUST
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS,
AND I JUST FOUND FLAG AND EVERY
ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THE
COACHES DID TELL ME AND YOU KNOW
IT'S CHANGING. YOU KNOW. NOW
THERE'S BUZZ ABOUT HIGH SCHOOLS
, GIRLS PLAYING, UM, C I F FLAG
FOOTBALL. YOU KNOW? HECK THE NFL
EVEN HAD THEIR PLAYERS DO AND
FLAG IN THE PRO BOWL, SO IT'S A
GROWING SPORT AND IT'S A SAFE.
ALTERNATIVE AND I THINK EVEN
THAT TACKLE FOOTBALL PEOPLE
ADMIT THAT IT'S SAFER FOR CT AND
BRAIN THAN PLAYING YUTAKA
FOOTBALL GRAND. THEY PROBABLY
SAY THAT YOU TACKLE FOOTBALL IS
SAFE ENOUGH. THERE'S UM THERE'S
PARENTS ARE VOTING WITH THEIR
FEET. YOU KNOW, I KNOW LEAGUES
HERE THAT THAT THE NUMBERS ARE
JUST INCREASING EXPONENTIALLY,
AND THERE'S MORE YOUTH PLAYING
FLAG NOW THEN TACKLE MY
UNDERSTANDING. SO. OBVIOUSLY YOU
PROMOTE IT AS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE
. UM IS THAT AN ISSUE WHERE
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH LADIES LEGS
AVAILABLE THAT IF PARENTS WANT
THEIR KIDS TO PLAY FOOTBALL,
WHETHER IT'S TACKLE OR FLAGGED,
THAT THERE WOULD BE THIS OPTION
FOR THEM. WELL, I THINK THE
ISSUE TO ADD TO MY COLLEAGUE
SAID. IS THAT AS A SOCIETY WHAT
DO WE WANT OUR FUTURE LEADERS?
TO BE. I MEAN, THIS IS AFFECTING
US AS A SOCIETY. THERE ARE MANY
YOUNG MEN IN TROUBLE TODAY. AND
I'M I'M SAYING 3 MILLION OF OUR
KIDS PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL PLAY.
UM TACKLE FOOTBALL MORE THAN
PROFESSIONALS DO. THEIR BRAINS
ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THIS SPORT
. AND THERE I THINK ISSUES IN
ADOLESCENCE AND PUBERTY AS YOUNG
ADULTS IN SOCIETY. WHAT DO WE
WANT OUR SOCIETY TO LOOK AT?
THAT'S WHAT I ASK YOU A LEGIT
QUESTION IN SOME MEMBER
QUIRK-SILVA NIGHT, WE'RE BOTH
EDUCATION ADVOCATES WERE ON THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE BUT ON
WORKING ON BUDGET ISSUES. AND
YOU KNOW OUR KIDS NEED OUTLETS.
AND SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS IN THE
CLASSROOM. THERE'S OBESITY
EPIDEMIC AND JUST COMING AFTER
COVID KIDS NEED HELP OF STUFF TO
DO, AND SO IT IS A LEGITIMATE
QUESTION THAT WOULD SHE POSES IS
SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES UNDER
RESOURCED COMMUNITIES LOWERING
THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS.
THESE FAMILIES CAN'T YOU KNOW,
TAKE THEM UP SKIING EVERY OTHER
WEEKEND OR SEND HIM TO SPORTS
CAMPS THAT YOU KNOW THESE YOUTH
PROGRAMS ARE LIFESAVERS
LIFESAVERS TO MY FAMILY. WHEN MY
MOM WAS A SINGLE MOM. HERE AT
FOUR KIDS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS
KEPT MY BROTHER AND I OUT OF
TROUBLE AND YOU KNOW, INCLUDING
PLAY POPCORN OR FOOTBALL AS
LITTLE KIDS FOR A COUPLE YEARS
BEFORE I WENT TO FLAG, SO IT'S
NOT SOME FOREIGN TOPIC TO ME,
BUT THE ISSUE THAT SHE POSES IS
I THINK A LEGITIMATE ONE IS THAT
ARE WE CONCERNED THAT IF WE
PULLED THE PLUG ON YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL THAT THESE COMMUNITIES
TO BE LIKE I DON'T HAVE
SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY LITTLE
ONE. I'M I PERSONALLY THINK THAT
THEY'RE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT NOW
AND THEY'RE NOT. THEY'RE THE
SAME LEAGUES WOULD START SIGNING
UP THESE OTHER PROGRAMS GRANT.
THEY DON'T DO IT NOW, BECAUSE
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS LIKE THEY
THERE'S A FEAR THAT SOMEONE ELSE
WOULD COME IN AND TAKE THAT
WHERE THERE'S DEMAND. THE
PARENTS WANTED TO TACKLE ITS
AVAILABLE YEAH, ALRIGHT, WE'RE
GONNA SORRY THE PRO FOOTBALLERS
PLAY. FLAG FOOTBALL IN THE PRO
BOWL EVERY YEAR. YEAH YOU KNOW,
YEAH. WELL, I WANT TO THANK ALL
OF YOU. WE DEFINITELY HEARD A
LOT OF INFORMATION, AND WE
DEFINITELY HAVE HEARD FROM OUR
ASSEMBLY MEMBER WHO'S WORKING ON
THIS POLICY. WE THANK YOU AND
JUST FOR THE PUBLIC ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT, UH A LOT OF PEOPLE
DON'T GET ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT
WE HAVE AT THE STATE IS WHEN
WE'RE AH IN THE LEGISLATIVE
SESSION, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY
HEARING ABOUT A VERY SPECIFIC
BILL AND HAVING HEARINGS,
SOMETIMES WITH THREE OR FOUR OR
FIVE BILLS AT THE SAME TIME,
THAT CAN BE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE
ISSUES WITHIN THE SAME COMMITTEE
. WE CERTAINLY DON'T GET TO
DELVE IN HAVE THIS QUESTIONING,
AND THEN WE OFTEN SAY, WELL,
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A BILL A ONE
YEAR BILL TO A TWO YEAR BILL.
WE'RE GOING TO USE THE RECESS TO
KIND OF DIG DEEPER. GET
INFORMATION IN HERE. UM WE'RE
HAVING A LITTLE BIT REGRETFUL
THAT THE SCHEDULING DIDN'T ALLOW
OTHER MEMBERS. BUT IT'S EXACTLY
FOR THIS PURPOSE SO THAT WE CAN
BE OPEN MINDED. WE CAN HEAR
INFORMATION FROM ALL VOICES AND
TRY TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION SO
THAT WHEN THAT PIECE OF
LEGISLATION COMES BACK WHETHER
IT'S THE BILL THAT'S PROPOSED OR
OTHERS. WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION
BECAUSE ALL TOO OFTEN WE GET
FORCED INTO VERY QUICK DECISIONS
ON VERY BIG POLICY. AND THIS IS
A VERY BIG POLICY. SO I
APPRECIATE YOUR INFORMATION. UH
INCREDIBLY BRIGHT PEOPLE SITTING
IN FRONT OF US. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
NEXT, WE WILL WELCOME UP FOR
PANEL TWO. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS
ON THIS PANEL, AND I'D LIKE TO
CALL UP A RON WHITE AND STEVE
AMMIANO. BOTH ARE BOARD MEMBERS
OF THE CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA
YOUTH FOOTBALL ALLIANCE, AND
THEY ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON SAFETY
MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPLEMENTED SINCE A B ONE. WENT
INTO EFFECT. THANK YOU, MR WHITE
. AND MR FABIANO AND I BELIEVE
THIS IS ONE OF WHAT HAVE YOU
LIVED IN FULLERTON? OR APPLE
VALLEY. APPLE VALLEY. BAKER'S
OKAY, I KNOW WE HAD SOMEBODY
COMING FROM FULLERTON THAT WAS
TALKING ON BEHALF OF POP WARNER.
NOT HERE. BUT DURING THE LAST
YEAR, SO I WASN'T SURE. BUT
WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR TRAVELING
. WE APPRECIATE IT, UM AND WE'LL
GO AHEAD AND START WITH WHOEVER
WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST. SURE.
THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY
YES. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME
SAY, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE
TODAY. I ALSO THANK THE
CLINICIANS BEHIND ME BECAUSE
THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. SO
YOU'LL SEE TO THE RIGHT THAT WE
DO NOT HAVE A POWER POWER DECK
SLIDE FOR YOU TODAY, BUT WE'RE
GONNA OFFER REAL WORLD
EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD SPANNING
ABOUT 50 YEARS. SO WITH THAT
BEING SAID, I WANT TO SAY TO
EVERYBODY ON THE PANEL TODAY.
THE FOLKS IN FRONT OF ME THE
FOLKS BEHIND ME, I COME HERE
TODAY. AS A FATHER FIRST. THAT'S
THE MOST IMPORTANT HAT THAT I
WEAR. I'M ALSO RETIRED STATE
PEACE OFFICER AND I'VE BEEN
WORKING WITH KIDS. FOR ABOUT 50
YEARS WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO
INSTEAD OF OFFERING A SLIDE
DECK. IS START WITH SOME
COMMENTS AND SORT OF LAY THE
GROUNDWORK OF THE CONVERSATION
BUT REALLY DO THAT IN A SEMI
EXPEDITED FASHION SO WE CAN GET
INTO A THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION.
AND I WELCOME THESE
CONVERSATIONS AS YOU AND I HAVE
HAD CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST.
BUT BEFORE I GET INTO THOSE
OPENING STATEMENTS, TWO THINGS
THAT SHOWED UP FOR ME, AND I
REALLY APPRECIATE THE FOLKS
BEHIND ME MAKING THESE COMMENTS
ONE THE QUOTE THAT I HEARD FROM
DR NOWINSKI IS AND I'VE HEARD
THIS BEFORE, AND I RESPECT THIS
SCIENCE CANNOT TELL YOU THE
RIGHT AGE TO PLAY YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL. AND THE OTHER THING
THAT SHOWED UP IN THIS
CONVERSATION FROM DR CAMARILLO.
IS THAT UNEQUIVOCALLY? THERE IS
NOT MEDICAL OR SCIENTIFIC
CONSENSUS THAT YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL CAUSE OF C T A CITY SO
I WANTED TO START THAT BEFORE I
MADE MY OPEN COMMENTS. TRY TO
MAKE THIS BRIEF. OVER THE PAST
THREE DECADES. I'VE HAD A FRONT
ROW SEAT TO THE POSITIVE AND
CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION OF YOU.
TACKLE FOOTBALL, NOT JUST IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT NATIONALLY AS
WELL. IN VARIOUS ROLES OF YOU
TACKLE FOOTBALL LEADERSHIP. I
HAVE COLLABORATED WITH
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AROUND
THE COUNTRY. AND OF COURSE IN
CALIFORNIA TO DRIVE AND
IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE POLICIES,
PROCEDURES AND BEST PRACTICES TO
ONCE AGAIN, HELP DRIVE WHAT I
HAVE TO BELIEVE TO BE THE SAFER
VERSION OF THE SPORT BEING
PLAYED TODAY. IN FACT, YOU
TACKLE FOOTBALL AS A SPORT TODAY
AS I SIT IN FRONT OF YOU IS
SAFER NOW, COMPARATIVELY THAN IT
HAS EVER BEEN. THAT IS A FACT. I
CAN POINT TO MULTIPLE EXAMPLES
OF CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND
ADVANCEMENT IN THE SPORT. BUT
NONE MORE IMPORTANT THAN
APPLICABLE THAN A B ONE. AND I
BELIEVE MADAM CHAIR YOU TOUCHED
ON SOME OF THE FINER COMPONENTS
OF THAT WHEN YOU OPENED UP
TODAY. THE CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL
ACT IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
SET OF SAFETY STANDARDS IN THE
COUNTRY. AND THE ONLY CODIFIED
PIECE OF LEGISLATION OF ITS KIND
NATIONALLY. THROUGH THE DIRECT
EFFORTS OF ASSEMBLYMAN JIM
COOPER, AS WELL AS MANY
THOUGHTFUL CALIFORNIA
LEGISLATORS. I THINK THAT YOU
MENTIONED SIMILAR MCCARTHY THAT
YOU SUPPORTED THIS AH, THE
WISDOM OF GOVERNOR NEWSOM TO
SIGN THE BILL INTO LAW AND THE
CALIFORNIA YOUTH ALLIANCE. WE
HAVE NOW COLLECTIVELY CREATED A
ROADMAP. FOR CALIFORNIA YOU
TACKLE FOOTBALL COMMUNITY FOLLOW
AS THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND
WHEN I SAY THAT, MEANING THAT WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE THE FIRST
STATE IN THE UNION. TO DRIVE
THIS SAFETY MEASURE AND HOLD IT
UP AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE
DONE. THE CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL
ACT JUST TO GIVE YOU A
CHRONOLOGICAL BACKGROUND, WAS
SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR
NEWSOM IN JULY OF 2019 AND
BECAME EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY.
2021 AS SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF
YOU TACKLE FOOTBALL PARTICIPANTS
AS ONE OF THE ONE OF
CALIFORNIA'S HIGHEST PRIORITY,
CERTAINLY THE HIGHEST PRIORITY
OF ME AS A FATHER AND I DO NOT
WANT TO SEPARATE MYSELF FROM
THAT IN THIS CONVERSATION. AT
LAST COUNT OVER 3.5 MILLION
PLAYERS, COACHES, OFFICIALS,
CHEERLEADERS AND VOLUNTEERS.
PARTICIPATE IN A GREAT SPORT OF
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL. AS
THOUSANDS. THIS IS IN THE STATE
OF THOUSANDS OF YOU TACO
FOOTBALL PLAYERS ACROSS THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA TAKE THE
FIELD EVERY SEASON. THEY NOW FOR
THE FIRST TIME. DO SO. UNDER
UNIVERSAL STATE SAFETY
GUIDELINES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO
SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE AND
THOSE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY.
ANNUAL OR BIANNUAL
RECERTIFICATION OF FOOTBALL
EQUIPMENT BY AN APPROVED AND
CERTIFIED MANUFACTURER, OR
EXCUSE ME OR RECOGNIZE THIRD
PARTY. DR CAMARILLO POINTED TO
THIS IN DETAIL. CONTINUOUS
ADVANCEMENT, HELMET TECHNOLOGY,
BOTH IN PRODUCT AND YOUTH HELMET
RATING SYSTEMS, AS REFLECTED IN
A NEWER PRODUCT ON THE TABLE
TODAY. PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
KEY ELEMENTS. A BABY ONE. IS THE
COACH OF CERTIFICATION AND
BLOCKING TACKLING COACHING
TECHNIQUES TO MINIMIZE THE RISK
OF INJURY. EXCUSE ME INJURY. WHY
I'M GOING TO PAUSE THERE IS WE
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH
EDUCATED, INFORMED, NOT JUST
CONSUMERS, AS I SAID HERE IN THE
PEOPLE'S HOUSE TODAY. BUT
COACHES AND FOLKS WHO ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT
CHILDREN ARE SAFE EARLIER.
PLAYING THIS SPORT. COACHES AND
LEGAL ADMINISTRATORS ARE
REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ANNUAL
CONCUSSION AND HEAD INJURY
TRAINING PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, PARENTS
AND YOU TACKLE. FOOTBALL
PARTICIPANTS ARE ALSO REQUIRED
TO BE PROVIDED THE SAME
INFORMATION. PER CALIFORNIA
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE 1 TO 4 TO
35. LICENSED MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS. LEVEL OR ABOVE
AND I'M I AM AN E M T BY
PROFESSION. AT EVERY YOU TACKLE
FOOTBALL GAME OR CONTEST. A
TRAINED, INDEPENDENT PARTY
ASSIGNED BY EACH INDIVIDUAL
ORGANIZATION TO MONITOR AND
PROVIDE DIRECT SUPERVISION IS
CERTAIN INJURY SURVEILLANCE
THAT'S GOING TO COME UP AGAIN
AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
THAT. ALL YOU TACKLE FOOTBALL
PRACTICES OR ACTIVITIES WITH THE
AUTHORITY TO BOTH REMOVE
PARTICIPANTS FROM ACTIVITY WHILE
DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING
INJURIES TO THE ORGANIZATION.
REDUCED PHYSICAL CONTACT, AND I
HEARD THAT MENTIONED HERE TODAY
NOT TO EXCEED MORE THAN 30
MINUTES OF CONTACT NO MORE THAN
TWO TIMES A WEEK. I'D LIKE TO
POINT OUT IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE
SIMILAR CARTER THAT YOU HAD
REFERENCED A B 2007. IT IS TWO
THIRDS LESS. AT THIS LOWER
ENERGY LEVEL OF PLAY. THEN WHAT
IS DONE BY ITS COUNTERPART AT
THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL IN THIS
STATE. SO WE TOOK A REAL HARD
LOOK WHEN WE WERE WORKING WITH
THE SYMBOL MAN COOPER OF HOW DO
WE REDUCE THAT? HOW DO WE
MITIGATE INJURIES AND MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS
OF THE GAME? TWO THIRDS
REDUCTION IN COMPARISON. MAYBE.
ONE ALSO RESTRICTS AND PROHIBITS
CONTACT PRACTICES IN THE
OFFSEASON, ESSENTIALLY REMOVING
THE ABILITY TO PLAY MORE THAN
ONE SEASON OF YOU TACKLE
FOOTBALL IN A CALENDAR YEAR.
THAT IS EXTREMELY KEY. WHEN WE
GET INTO THE CONVERSATION, I
WANT TO SAY THIS CLEARLY FOR THE
RECORD. I AM NOT A CLINICIAN.
CLEARLY. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THE
ABILITY TO REDUCE PLAY YOU HAVE
THE ABILITY TO MITIGATE INJURY
OF ALL TYPE. ALL CALIFORNIA YOU
TACKLE FOOTBALL ORGANIZATIONS
MUST PROVIDE A DECLARATION OF
COMPLIANCE OF A B ONE B, ITS
WEBSITE OR INTERNAL
DOCUMENTATION. I'M GOING TO SAY
THIS AGAIN AS I SIT HERE IN THE
PEOPLE'S HOUSE TODAY. OLD
TIMIDLY. THE DECISION TO PLAY
YOU TACKLE FOOTBALL REST WITH
PARENTS. BUT THEY REST WITH
PARENTS AND THOSE RIGHTS NOW
KNOWING THAT THERE ARE UNIVERSAL
CALIFORNIA STANDARDS OF PLAY FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF
THIS SPORT. IN ANY STATE AT ANY
TIME. A B ONE IS IN ITS INFANCY.
WE MENTIONED THAT IT WAS SIGNED
INTO LAW IN 19. IT BECAME
EFFECTIVE IN 2021, BUT SOMETHING
CALLED THE PANDEMIC CAME ALONG.
RIGHT, AS MANY GROUPS ARE TRYING
TO MOVE FORWARD FROM THAT PERIOD
OF TIME, IT IS IN ITS ABSOLUTE
INFANCY. THE WAY THAT WE LOOK AT
A B ONE, AND I'LL CERTAINLY OPEN
UP FOR QUESTIONS AFTER STEVE'S
REMARKS, WE LOOK AT A B ONE NOT
AS A STATIC. ONE TIME PIECE OF
LEGISLATION, BUT RATHER A LIVING
, BREATHING DOCUMENT THAT CAN BE
BUILT UPON AS WE HAVE MORE
INFORMATION. WE'RE EXTREMELY
PROUD TO LEAD THE WAY IN THIS
COUNTRY. BY PROVIDING THAT PIECE
OF LEGISLATION THAT SIMPLY HAS
NOT EXISTED. UNTIL. MAYBE THE
LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS WITH
WITH THE HELP OF REALLY
THOUGHTFUL LEGISLATOR AND THE
SUPPORT OF THE BODY. AT THIS
POINT, I'M GONNA TURN REMARKS
OVER TO STEVE. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU JUST HAVE A QUICK STATEMENT
. GOOD MORNING TO THE HONORABLE
CHAIR, MRS QUIRK-SILVA AND THE
HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE ARTS,
ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS AND TOURISM
COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH IS SIMPLY
MEMBER MCCARTY. THANK YOU FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY
TO DISCUSS THE WONDERFUL SPORT
OF YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL. MY
NAME IS STEVE FABIANO. BORN AND
RAISED CALIFORNIAN RESIDING IN
APPLE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA WHERE I
BEGAN MY 20 PLUS YEAR JOURNEY IN
THE SPORT. FIRST AS A PARENT
WHEN I SIGNED MY TWO BOYS UP AT
SEVEN AND NINE YEARS OLD, WELL
OVER TWO DECADES AGO, MY
YOUNGEST PLAYED FIVE YEARS. MY
OLDEST PLAYED THREE. IT'S A
DECISION I WOULD MAKE AGAIN
TODAY WITHOUT ANY HESITATION.
ULTIMATELY MY BOYS NEVER WENT ON
TO PLAY ANY OTHER LEVEL OF
FOOTBALL AS MOST KIDS WHO PLAY
YOUTH DO NOT. AFTER MY SON
STOPPED PLAYING, I REMAINED
INVOLVED IN THE SPORT AND WENT
ON TO BECOME A COACH,
ADMINISTRATOR, COMMISSIONER
BOARD MEMBER CO FOUNDER OF THE
CALIFORNIA YOUTH FOOTBALL
ALLIANCE, AND A TWO TIME LEAD
MEMBER OF THE GRASSROOTS SAVE
YOUTH FOOTBALL. CALIFORNIA
COALITION. REPRESENTING TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF CALIFORNIA YOUTH
FOOTBALL FAMILIES AND THEIR
PLAYERS. OVER MY TWO DECADES OF
VOLUNTEERISM WITHIN THE SPORT.
I'VE HAD MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
THAT I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF. BUT
I MUST SAY, WORKING WITH THE
FORMER ASSEMBLYMAN JIM COOPER ON
THE NATION'S FIRST AND MOST
COMPREHENSIVE YOUTH SPORTS
SAFETY BILL, THE CALIFORNIA
YOUTH FOOTBALL ACT A B ONE, TOPS
THE LIST. NO OTHER CALIFORNIA
YOUTH SPORTS, INCLUDING BASEBALL
, SOCCER, OR EVEN FLAG FOOTBALL
, HAVE THE SAME SAFETY
PROTECTIONS. A YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL PLAYER HAS UNDER A B
ONE GUIDELINES. A B ONE GOES
ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL PAST AND
CURRENT SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM THE CDC AND MANY OTHERS IN
REGARDS TO YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL
SAFETY. NONE OF WHICH CALLED FOR
AN OUTRIGHT AGE RESTRICTION OR
BANNING OF THE SPORT. MAYBE ONE
SETS THE STANDARD FOR WHAT A
YOUTH SPORTS SAFETY LAWS SHOULD
LOOK LIKE, AND IT'S SOMETHING
ALL OF US IS. CALIFORNIANS CAN
BE PROUD OF AS ONCE AGAIN, WE
ARE LEADING THE NATION IN A
PROGRESSIVE AND FORWARD LOOKING
WAY ON YOUTH SPORTS SAFETY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE INVITE,
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I DO. SEE
THAT YOU BROUGHT ONE OF THE
HELMETS. IF YOU WANT TO JUST
KIND OF HOLD IT UP AND I CAN
HAND IT TO YOU AND TO YOU GUYS,
IF YOU WERE JUST HOLD IT UP AND
SHOW I THINK YOU'RE ON CAMERA
AND YOU CAN KIND OF SHOW THE
INSIDE OF IT. AND BECAUSE SOME
SOME PEOPLE HAVE NEVER REALLY
SEEN SEEN THAT AND THIS IS A
LIGHT HELMET. YOU KNOW, IF
YOU'RE GONNA ASK ME QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT. OKAY, SO THAT'S A LIGHT
DOWN HELMET. AND THAT'S
TYPICALLY WHAT, UH, YOUTH
FOOTBALL WOULD BE WEARING. THIS
IS ONE OF THE NEWER MODELS THAT
HAS JUST COME OUT AND THE LATEST
TECHNOLOGY UM THIS HELMET HERE I
KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT
HELMETS AND THE WEIGHT OF
HELMETS AND THE WHIPLASH EFFECT
ON YOUNG KIDS. THIS IS, UH,
HELMET THAT WEIGHS ABOUT £2.08
OUNCES. YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF
TALK ABOUT HELMETS OR £6.07
POUNDS. THIS IS VERY LIGHT.
VERY, UM JUST ALL THE MATERIAL
AND HOW IT'S MADE IS VERY LIGHT.
AND IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO
ANY TIME YOU WANT TO GRAB IT AND
CHECK IT, THANK YOU. AND IT
CERTAINLY SPEAKS TO THE
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THAT
THAT DOCTOR THAT ONE OF THE
PHYSICIANS SPOKE ABOUT BEHIND
ME, DOCTOR. THIS IS A CLASSIC
EXAMPLE THAT YOU TACKLE FOOTBALL
IS A CONSTANTLY EVOLVING SPORT,
AND THAT IS A BYPRODUCT OF THAT
WILL ACCELERATION AND GROWTH IN
TERMS OF BRINGING REAL WORLD
SOLUTIONS TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE
BELIEVE IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN'T
BE SOLVED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
I KNOW THAT OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER
HERE HAS SOME QUESTIONS. HE'S
EAGER TO ANSWER. ASK AHEAD IS
SUDDENLY MEMBER MCCARTY.
ALRIGHT, LET ME FIND MY
QUESTIONS HERE.
I HAVE IT. SO EITHER OF YOU CAN
ANSWER UM, JUST IF YOU CAN
EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL IN THE
SENSE OF I KNOW WE'RE TALKING
LIKE 6 TO 12 OR 13 OR 14. BUT
HOW? HOW ARE UH, THE INDIVIDUALS
PUT ON THE TEAMS BY AGE OR BY
WEIGHT OR HEIGHT OR ALL OF THESE
THINGS? HOW? HOW DOES THAT HOW
ARE THEY GROUPS? I GUESS AND
THEN GENERALLY FROM JUST SAY
AUGUST BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING
THAT'S WHEN THE SEASON STARTS
TILL UH, WHAT IS THERE LIKE?
BEGINNING PRACTICES LOOK LIKE
UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY START
PLAYING GAMES, JUST KIND OF LIKE
A LITTLE SYNOPSIS OF YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL RELATING TO WHAT
? THE REQUIREMENTS OF A B ONE.
OUR YOUTH TACKLE. FOOTBALL
PLAYERS ARE BASICALLY
CATEGORIZED BY AGE AND WEIGHT.
NOW YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT
CLASSIFICATIONS. YOU CAN HAVE AN
AGE AND WEIGHT BASED SYSTEM. OR
WHAT THEY CONSIDER IT WOULD BE
AN UNLIMITED, BUT TYPICALLY
YOU'RE LOOKING AT SEVEN AND
EIGHT YEAR OLDS PLAYING
TOGETHER. 10 AND 11 YEAR OLDS
PLAYING TOGETHER, SO YOU'RE NOT
HAVING A SIX YEAR OLD PLAYING
WITH A 12 YEAR OLD? THAT'S I'VE
NEVER SEEN THAT IN ALL THE YEARS
OF MY YOUTH FOOTBALL, AND I
DON'T THINK THAT WOULD EVER
HAPPEN. UM AS FAR AS TIME FRAME
OF SEASON TYPICALLY STARTS
AROUND, MAYBE LATE JULY, HEADS
IN AUGUST TYPICALLY WRAPS UP, I
WOULD SAY, NOVEMBER TIME FRAME.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU'RE
SEASON STARTS. THERE'S TYPICALLY
ABOUT A MONTH I'D SAY 6 TO 7
WEEKS OF PRACTICE PRIOR TO GAME
STARTING, UM MOST LEAGUES HAVE.
TYPICALLY THIS IS AN AVERAGE
ABOUT EIGHT GAMES A SEASON AND
THEN MAYBE A COUPLE OF PLAYOFF
GAMES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
UM AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE
BASIC STRUCTURE OF YOUTH
FOOTBALL. HOW MANY TIMES DID
THEY USUALLY PRACTICE A WEEK? I
KNOW IT DEPENDS ON AREA BUT JUST
GENERALLY PRACTICES AND THEN
THEIR GAMES. AND SO I MAYBE I
CAN ADDRESS THE FIRST THING AND
THEN I'LL MOVE INTO THE PRACTICE
SESSION. SO UH, THERE ARE
DIFFERENT. THERE ARE DIFFERENT
MECHANISMS FOR THAT WHAT WE'RE
SEEING PROGRESSIVELY NOT JUST IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY IS WHAT IS CALLED A USE
SYSTEM. WHICH BASICALLY MEANS
THIS AND IT SPEAKS TO THAT IN
THE BILL. IN TERMS OF COMPARABLE
AGE GROUPS YOU HAVE 889 YEAR
OLDS PLAYING 10 11 YEAR OLDS
PLAYING ETCETERA WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF A SEASON,
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE BEFORE WE
GET IN TO PRACTICE, TYPICALLY,
WHEN PROGRAMS START IN JULY WAS
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF VARIABLE.
THERE IS A SLOW PROGRESSIVE
INTRODUCTION TO CONTACT I WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M PAINTING A
VERY, VERY VIVID PICTURE FOR THE
COMMITTEE. IT'S NOT A SETTING
WHERE YOU JUST PUT ON SOME
CLEATS AND A HELMET. YOU GET
INTO ACTION. IT IS A PROGRESSIVE
TIME PERIOD THAT CAN SPAN UP TO
14 DAYS. HELMETS ONLY ZERO
CONTACT, THEN YOU MOVE INTO
SAFER PROGRESSIVE CONTACT. YOU
ELEVATE FROM THUD, AND THEN YOU
START PROGRESSIVELY INTRODUCING
YOUNG ATHLETES INTO CONTACT
UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE BULK OF
THE SEASON. WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN
CALIFORNIA IN TERMS OF PRACTICE
PERIODS. IS THAT UP TO FOUR DAYS
A WEEK OR SO, AND WE'RE SOME
VARIANTS PER PROGRAM BEFORE YOU
GET INTO THE SEASON AND THEN A
TRAIL BACK TO THREE DAYS A WEEK
NO MORE THAN TWO HOURS WHERE
KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL AND ACADEMICS
SHOULD BECOMING THE BECOME THE
OVERRIDING, UH, REQUIREMENTS. SO
YOU SEE THAT SCALE DOWN TO
SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE IN A
HIGH SCHOOL SETTING. AND THEN
JUST TWO OTHER QUESTIONS AND
THEN WE'LL MOVE TO MR MCCARTY.
UM ON THE COACH TRAINING. WHERE
DO THEY GO FOR THE CERTIFICATION
AND DO THEY HAVE TO BE RE
CERTIFIED EACH YEAR, JUST PART
OF IT? YOU CAN START. THERE ARE
MANY OPTIONS. USA FOOTBALL HAS A
CERTIFICATION COURSE TIP OF THE
SPEAR HAS A CERTIFICATION
COURSE. AMERICAN YOUTH FOOTBALL
HAS A CERTIFICATION COURSE. SO
THERE I WILL TELL YOU IN THIS
SPACE. THERE COULD BE MORE
PLAYERS FOR SURE. BUT IT IS
ANNUAL TRAINING. YOU CAN USE ONE
OF THOSE THREE RESOURCES. THESE
RESOURCES ARE CLEARLY OUT THERE.
BUT IT IS AN ANNUAL BASIS
THROUGH THOSE THREE, PRIMARILY
ARE THOSE IN PERSON OR ONLINE.
SEEN IT DONE BOTH WAYS. I KNOW
THAT USA FOOTBALL WAS THE
CALIFORNIA DELEGATE FOR QUITE A
LONG TIME REPRESENTING THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA. WE DID IT IN BOTH
CAPACITIES. WE OFFER IT BOTH
VIRTUALLY OUT OF CONVENIENCE.
BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS A REASON
THAT I'M SAYING THIS WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL SPACE, UNLIKE HIGH
SCHOOL OR ABOVE THESE ARE TRUE
VOLUNTEERS. YOU HAVE THE FIREMAN
, THE PLUMBER WHO SAID I WORKED
EIGHT HOURS. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE
TO GET THIS DONE SO THE VIRTUAL
COMPONENT CAME INTO PLAY, BUT
YOU HAVE THAT OFFERING IN BOTH
SPACES. AND THEN JUST GOING BACK
TO THE AGE AND WEIGHT. UM AS AS
WE KNOW. YOUR AGE DOESN'T
DETERMINE YOUR WAY SO YOU COULD
HAVE A SEVEN YEAR OLD WHO IS,
YOU KNOW, MUCH LARGER THAN OTHER
SEVEN YEAR OLDS? SURE SO DO YOU
CUT THAT OFF BY WEIGHT? I MEAN,
BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE
WEIGHT WOULD BE ALMOST MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE AGE. ON THE
IMPACT. YEAH THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION, YOU KNOW, AND THAT
OPENS UP. I'M GOING TO ANSWER
YOUR QUESTION, BUT THAT THAT'S
GOING TO OPEN UP THE
CONVERSATION, TOO. THOSE TYPES
OF PLAYERS RIGHT? THERE ARE A
LOT OF KIDS THAT MAY BE
OVERWEIGHT AT A CERTAIN AGE AND
NEED THE SPORT OF FOOTBALL TO
HELP THEM WITH THEIR HEALTH, UM
, COMPARING IT TO FLAG FOOTBALL
TACKLE FOOTBALL ALLOWS KIDS OF
DIFFERENT SIZES THAT OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY. THE SPORT FLAG IS
LIMITED IN SOME REGARDS. AS FAR
AS THE TYPE OF BUILD THAT A
CHILD HAS TO PLAY FLAG FOOTBALL
AND TACKLE FOOTBALL GIVES
OPPORTUNITY TO KIDS WITH THAT
TYPE OF WEIGHT. DO YOU WANT TO
ENSURE NOT? I'M GONNA ANSWER. I
THINK MORE IF I CAN'T SUCCINCTLY
ON THE FIRST PART OF THIS, YOU
WOULD ASK ABOUT SIZE
DIFFERENTIAL IN PLAYERS. THERE
ARE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SOME ARE
YOU SYSTEMS DRIVEN BY PURE SEVEN
AND EIGHT YEAR REGARDLESS OF
IRRESPECTIVE TO WHAT YOU PLAY
TOGETHER. THERE ARE SOME SYSTEMS
THAT SAY YOU HAVE TO WAIT WITHIN
A CERTAIN WEIGHT METRIC TO PLAY
TOGETHER. ONE THING I KNOW ABOUT
KIDS AND 35 YEARS OF WORKING IN
THE YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL SPACE
KIDS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND
SIZES. JUST AS THEY DO IN THE
HIGH SCHOOL SPACE. THAT IS HOW I
WOULD ANSWER, BUT BUT I WOULD
SAY THIS AND I'M SURE I'LL GET
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THIS
A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO WHAT
STEVE TOUCHED ON. IS THE REALITY
OF IT IS WE'RE FIGHTING AN
EPIDEMIC EPIDEMIC OF OBESITY,
YOUTH AND TEEN OBESITY. MANY OF
THE KIDS WHO PLAY YOU TACKLE
FOOTBALL, AND THIS IS WELL
DOCUMENTED. PLAY THIS SPORT
BECAUSE THEY'RE GROWING INTO
THEIR BODY. THEIR LARGER THESE
KIDS ARE NOT PLAYING SOCCER.
THEY THEY DON'T OFTEN TIMES HAVE
THE ABILITY TO PLAY FLAG
FOOTBALL, BUT WE HAVE A HOME FOR
THEM IN YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL,
WHERE THEY ARE WELCOMED AS
THEY'RE GROWING INTO THEIR BODY.
THAT'S ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO
REALLY DO NOTE HERE. KIDS COME
IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. THANK
YOU REMEMBER MCCARTY? YEAH THAT
YOU KNOW THAT LAST PIECE. IT'S I
WAS REALLY SAY IT, UM IT KIND OF
BOTHERS ME BECAUSE. I DON'T
THINK THAT THAT 10 YEAR OLD WHO
IS THE BIGGER KID NEEDS TO BE
THE NOSE TACKLE OR THE OFFENSIVE
GUARD. WHY CAN'T THEY PLAY FLAG
AND BE THE QUARTERBACK? WIDE
RECEIVER? YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT
WE PUT KIDS IN A BOX, I THINK IS
THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF MY
OPINION. SO I THINK THAT KIDS
SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRY EVERYTHING
, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG.
WE WANT KIDS TO EXPLORE LOTS OF
OPPORTUNITIES, AND SO
CHARACTERIZING THE BIG KID COULD
ONLY YOU KNOW, PLAYING THE
INTERIOR LINE AND TACKLE
FOOTBALL, I THINK IS A PROBLEM
AND I'VE SEEN BIG KIDS. LOCAL
PROGRAMS PROGRAMS THAT I THAT
I'VE TALKED TO COACH IS ABOUT
LIKE, HEY, WE GET THAT BIG KID.
HE LIKES TO PLAY QUARTERBACK.
EVERY NOW AND THEN ANOTHER £300
, YOU KNOW, 12 YEAR OLD. SO UM,
THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. YOU MIND
IF I RESPOND? WANTED TO ASK YOU
SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I GUESS THE
FIRST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS,
UM, WE HAD A CONSTITUENT CALL US
A FEW MONTHS AGO AND SAYS, HEY,
I'M A PARENTS AND WE TO TACKLE
FOOTBALL AND THEY'RE NOT
FOLLOWING SB ONE. AND, UM YOU
KNOW? HOW DO YOU? HOW DO WE DEAL
WITH THAT? IS THAT IT DOES. I
CONCUR? I VOTED FOR I SUPPORT.
IT DOES HAVE MORE SAFEGUARDS FOR
A SPORT THAT EXISTS TODAY. HOW
DO WE ENSURE THAT THERE'S
OVERSIGHT THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY
FOLLOWING THESE THESE WONDERFUL
QUESTION? DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS
IT? OR I CAN WE BOTH WILL. MR
MCCARTY. I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE
TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. WAS THAT
PARENT CONCERNED ABOUT THE BILL
THAT YOU PASSED A B 2007 OF THE
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL? I'M ASKING
THE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW? NO, I
HAVE NO IDEA THAT ALL I KNOW IS
A CONSTITUENT CALLED MY OFFICE
AND WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE'S
NEW RULES FOR UM, SAFETY AND
TIME AND HOW LONG THEY CAN HOW
MANY HOURS THEY COULD CONTACT
DURING THE WEEK. AND IT WASN'T
SHE LOOKED AT THE RULES IN SP
ONE. AND THEY WEREN'T FOLLOWING
THAT, SO AND THEN I TALKED TO
COACH LAST WEEK. IT SAYS THAT
PROGRAM HERE THEY'RE RUNNING.
THE OKLAHOMA DRILLS WERE IN
PRACTICE. THE KIDS COME FROM
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND
PRACTICE COLLISIONS, WHICH MOST
PEOPLE MOST PROGRAMS DON'T DO
ANYMORE. SO I TWO EXAMPLES WHERE
PEOPLE AREN'T FOLLOWING SO THE
THOUGHT OUT PLAN THAT YOU PUT
FORWARD SB ONE. AND I GUESS THE
QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE ENSURE
THAT? THAT IT'S BEING
IMPLEMENTED APPROPRIATELY ACROSS
CALIFORNIA, SO LOOKING AT YOUTH
SPORTS SAFETY BILLS THAT HAVE
BEEN PASSED IN CALIFORNIA YOURS
BACK IN 2016, MAYBE 2007 THE
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL. THERE'S NO
COMPLIANCE FOR THAT LAW. IT'S
NOT WRITTEN IN THE LAW AT ITS
IT'S JUST A STATE LAW THAT WAS
PASSED AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS.
27 U SPORTS ARE SUPPOSED TO
FOLLOW THAT LAW AND PROVIDE
DOCUMENTATION TO PARENTS FOR THE
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL THAT THE
STATE LAW IN CALIFORNIA A B ONE.
HAS NO ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM
JUST AS THAT LAW DOES NOT SO.
THE ONLY RECOURSE THAT I WOULD
SAY TO THAT PARENT IF SHE
CONTACTED ME, I WOULD TELL HER
TO POSSIBLY TALK TO THE LEAGUE
FIRST AND FOREMOST, SEE WHAT SHE
CAN DO THERE AT A BOARD MEETING.
IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, THEN
ULTIMATELY I BELIEVE IT'S MY
OPINION BILLS THAT DO NOT HAVE A
ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM ATTACHED
TO THEM. THE ONLY RECOURSE THAT
THAT PARENT WOULD HAVE WOULD BE
TO POSSIBLY HIRE AN ATTORNEY.
AND GO THAT ROUTE. UM. THIS IS
DUE TO ME AS FAR AS THIS
POLITICAL PROCESS, BUT I'VE
LEARNING THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF
BILLS THAT ARE PAST THAT DO NOT
HAVE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. UM
YOU WOULD HOPE AND I DO HOPE,
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE JOBS THAT
I'VE BEEN DOING. OVER THE PAST
FEW YEARS. I'VE BEEN WORKING AS
HARD AS I CAN TO CONTACT EVERY
YOUTH FOOTBALL LEADER IN THIS
STATE. AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT
THE LAW IS. HOW TO YOU KNOW,
ENFORCE THE LAW IN THEIR
LEAGUES, BUT I CANNOT SIT HERE
TODAY AND TELL ANYONE HERE THAT
EVERYONE IS FOLLOWING THAT LAW.
JUST AS I CANNOT TELL YOU,
EVERYONE IS NOT SPEEDING. I
WOULD LOVE TO ADD TO THAT, AND I
APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. THAT
QUESTION HAS BEEN POSED SINCE
THE EARLY DRAFT OF THAT PIECE OF
LEGISLATION PUT IN PLACE. HERE'S
HOW I LOOK AT THAT. IT IS WELL
DOCUMENTED. WHETHER WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT A B 2007 AND THANK
YOU FOR OFFERING THAT, SIR OR A
B ONE THAT THERE IS NOT A BUILT
IN ENFORCEMENT, TRADITIONAL
ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM. BUT LET
ME TELL YOU WHAT WHAT DOES COME
INTO PLAY? IF ANYTHING GOOD THAT
HAS COME OUT OF THE MULTIPLE
MEETINGS THAT YOU AND I HAVE
HAD, SIR IN YOUR OFFICE. THE
PUBLIC EXPOSURE AND THE DEBATE
AROUND YOU. TACKLE FOOTBALL IS
THAT IT IS CREATED MORE
VISIBILITY FOR THIS SPORT. THAT
HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. WHAT
HAPPENS FROM A CONSUMER
STANDPOINT IS A B ONE. NOW IS
THE STANDARD. MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE KNOW WHICH TO STANDARD
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS AND I
BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THIS
EARLIER. PEOPLE AND CONSUMERS.
THAT'S WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
FAMILY MEMBERS. BUT WITH THEIR
FEET A B ONE DRIVES HEALTHY
TENSION INTO THE MARKET. WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT DECLARING ON YOUR
WEBSITE THAT YOU'RE A B ONE
COMPLIANT. WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE
TODAY IS WE'RE DRIVING
VISIBILITY OF THIS SPORT. SO
PARENTS THAT WOULD HAVE NO IDEA
FIVE YEARS AGO ABOUT SAFETY
STANDARDS AND YOU TACKLE
FOOTBALL BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE
ELEMENTS, THEY THEY NOW KNOW I'M
IN DEEP DIALOGUE WITH FAMILIES
UP AND DOWN THE STATE AS I'VE
DONE THIS NOW FOR 36 YEARS. THEY
KNOW ABOUT A B ONE. THEY KNOW
ABOUT CONCUSSIONS. THEY KNOW
ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF CTE, EVEN
THOUGH WE LANDED ON THAT THERE
IS NO CONSENSUS. THE BENEFIT OF
THESE DIALOGUES TODAY OR IN 2018
, OR IN YOUR OFFICE OR IN SOCIAL
MEDIA OR IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC
OPINION. WE'RE DRIVING
VISIBILITY AND FAMILIES ARE MORE
AWARE NOW. THAT THERE ARE
UNIVERSAL GUIDELINES THROUGH A B
ONE. JUST LIKE THE GUIDELINES
THAT YOU INTRODUCED FOR 2007.
OKAY? THANK YOU. MY NEXT
QUESTION IS, I'VE SEEN NATIONAL
NUMBERS TAKING EVEN BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC AND AFTER THE PENSION
THAT THE NUMBER OF TACKLE
FOOTBALL PARTICIPANTS HAS GONE
DOWN. WHETHER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL
LEVEL OR POP, POP WARNER AND
OTHER YOUTH TACKLE LEAGUES AND
THAT THE FLAG PARTICIPATION HAS
HAS GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY, AND
THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE FLAG
PLAYERS NOW THAN TACKLE PLAYERS
IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. APPLE
VALLEY UM YOU KNOW, AND IN
BAKERSFIELD. WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN
? YOU KNOW, PARENTS ARE
RIGHTFULLY CONCERNED BECAUSE
THEY WANT US TO BE ONE
ENFORCEMENT OR THEIR, YOU KNOW,
SEEING THE REFERENCES TO PLAYERS
AND NFL STARS OR DOCUMENTARIES
ON NETFLIX ON, YOU KNOW AARON
HERNANDEZ, WHAT HAPPENED? SO
THEY'RE JUST HEY, IS THIS THING
IS AN IMPACT MY YOUNG KIDS, ARE
YOU SEEING MORE IN YOUR TWO
AREAS? POP WARNER PARTICIPATION
. I'M SORRY. MORE FLAG FOOTBALL
PARTICIPATION AT THE EXPENSE OF
POP WARNER AND YOU TACO FOOTBALL
AND IN APPLE VALLEY AND CORN. IN
MY LORD. I'LL SPEAK FROM MY
LOCAL AREA IN MY LOCAL AREA,
WHICH IS THE HIGH DESERT REGION
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. UM FLAG
FOOTBALL IS MINIMAL. I'LL SAY
THAT I'LL USE THAT AS ITS
MINIMAL TACKLE. FOOTBALL IS TO
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL IS
DEFINITELY A LARGER SPORT THAN
FLAG. FOOTBALL. UM. AS FAR AS
IT'S KIND OF RELATING TO WHAT
RON SAID, UM MORE PEOPLE ARE
ACTUALLY COMING BACK TO YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL. THE NUMBERS ARE
GOING BACK UP, AND I THINK THAT
WAS SHOWN IN ONE OF THE SLIDES
THERE THAT PARTICIPATION IS
STARTING TO GO BACK UP HIGH
SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL IS GETTING
MORE PLAYERS. I THINK BECAUSE OF
A LOT OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN
DONE A B ONE DIFFERENT THINGS
LIKE THAT. PEOPLE ARE WAY MORE
INFORMED TODAY THAN THEY EVER
HAVE BEEN WHEN I SIGNED MY TWO
BOYS UP BACK AS A PARENT AND
2001 BELIEVE IT WAS FLAG WASN'T
EVEN TALKED ABOUT. REALLY? YOU
DIDN'T YOU COULDN'T FIND A FLAG
LEAGUE ANYWHERE. TO BE HONEST
WITH YOU. IT WAS ALL TACKLE
TACKLE TACKLE. UM AND THERE.
THERE WERE NO SAFETY REGULATIONS
WHATSOEVER. UM SO FLAG? YES
YOU'RE CORRECT. THE NUMBERS ARE
GOING UP. BUT KEEP IN MIND. I
WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
EXCLUDING CHILDREN FROM SPORTS.
YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL IS
PREDOMINANTLY A MALE SPORT.
FLAG. FOOTBALL IS COED. THAT'S
WHY YOU'RE SEEING FLAG NUMBERS.
GREATER THAN TACKLE NUMBERS,
JUST NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
AFRAID TO SIGN THEIR KIDS UP FOR
TACKLE. IT'S THAT FLAG FOOTBALL
HAS MORE GIRLS PLAYING. SURE.
THAT'S THINK YOU WERE ASKING IT
JUST AS A COMPARATIVE IN BOTH
REGIONS. BAKERSFIELD APPLE
VALLEY COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. BUT
WHAT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THE
BAKERSFIELD OR THE CENTRAL PART
OF THE STATE TACKLE FOOTBALL IS
THE DOMINANT SPORT PLAYED IN
TERMS OF VOLUME, MR MCCARTHY. I
WILL. I WILL CONCUR WITH YOU
THAT I WANT TO SAY THAT IT WAS
EITHER THE ESTIMATE INSTITUTE OR
THE SPORTS AND FITNESS INDUSTRY
TRACKED PARTICIPATION NUMBERS. I
WANT TO SAY IN 2017 THAT FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN US HISTORY TO YOUR
POINT FLAG EXCEEDED THE NUMBER
OF TACKLE. PARTICIPANTS WERE
SEEING THOSE NUMBERS NOW START
TO COME TO BALANCE FOR A FEW
DIFFERENT REASONS. AND I WANT TO
POINT THIS OUT BEFORE I SAY THAT
IT IS NOT A ZERO SUM GAME WHEN
YOU SEE AN INFLUX AND INCREASE
AND FLAG FOOTBALL. IT DOESN'T
MEAN THAT THEY'RE ONLY PLAYING
FLAG FOOTBALL. WHAT WE'RE SEEING
IS AND WE SPEAK TO IT IN A B
ONE. IF THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONLY
ONE TRADITIONAL TACKLE SEASON.
WHAT ARE WHAT ARE YOUNG ATHLETES
DOING IN THE OFFSEASON? THEY'RE
PLAYING FLAG FOOTBALL. SO WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, THE
NUMBERS ARE SKEWED BECAUSE IT IS
NOT A ZERO SUM GAME. YOU HAVE
THEM PLAYING BOTH WHICH WE
APPLAUD IN TERMS OF YEAR ROUND
ACTIVITY, ONE OF THE ONE OF THE
FOLKS BEHIND ME AND I CANNOT
REMEMBER THE PHYSICIANS THAT YOU
MY APOLOGY SHE HAD MENTIONED
ABOUT THE LACK OF RESOURCES OR
AVAILABILITY TO PLAY FLAG
FOOTBALL. I CAN TELL YOU UM,
LIVING IN THE CENTRAL PART OF
THE STATE THAT THERE IS
OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY FLAG
FOOTBALL. AH NOT JUST IN
BAKERSFIELD, BUT IN APPLE VALLEY
, AND I PLAYED FLAG FOOTBALL A
MILLION YEARS AGO. IT IS NOT A
NEWER SPORT. UM IT IS SOMETIMES
MORE ECONOMICAL AND LESS
INVOLVEMENT. YOU CAN SHOW UP AND
PLAY THE GAME. THE GAME THE DAY
OF RIGHT BUT IT IS NOT
NECESSARILY AN EITHER OR
PROPOSITION. WE BELIEVE THEY'RE
BOTH BEING PLAYED. OKAY THANK
YOU. THAT THE FAMILIES NEXT. ALL
RIGHT, WELL, WE WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR COMING. I THINK YOU GAVE
A VERY INFORMATIVE PANEL ABOUT,
UH, YOUTH FOOTBALL, AND WE
APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT. THANK YOU
FOR BRINGING THE HELMET AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY. APPRECIATE IT.
ALRIGHT WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR
FINAL PANEL. UH, WITH THREE
MEMBERS ON THAT. UM PLEASE COME
UP. WE HAVE, UH. THREE
INDIVIDUALS ON THIS PANEL AND
THE THIS PANEL WILL BE FOCUSING
ON THE EXPERIENCE OF ATHLETES
AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT
HAVE DEALT WITH THE IMPACTS OF
CONCUSSION AND C T E, UH. WE
WANT TO WELCOME JAN FRANKLIN, MY
CANES AND PAMELA THACKER. AND WE
WILL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH A
JAM. FRANKLIN THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIR. MY NAME IS JAN FRANKLIN.
AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE
THERE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM AGE AT
WHICH CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED TO
PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL. THIS IS MY
SON, JASON. UH HE'S NOT ONLY MY
SON. HE'S MY ONLY CHILD. HE DIED
BY SUICIDE. ON JULY 14TH 2018 AT
THE AGE OF 26. NEXT SLIDE. FROM
BIRTH. MY SON WAS ALWAYS SO
HAPPY. HE WAS A LIFE OF THE
PARTY. HE COULD TALK TO ANYBODY.
PERSONALITY AND CHARM GALORE,
AND HE LOVED LIFE. NEXT SLIDE.
WE WERE SO LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A
WONDERFUL, FUNNY, WELL ADJUSTED
SON. HE WAS AN ACTOR. HE WAS A
HE HAD HIS OWN SHOW. I'LL TALK
ABOUT THAT LATER. NEXT SLIDE.
JASON STARTED PLAYING TACKLE
FOOTBALL AT THE AGE OF 11.
THAT'S HIM ON THE FAR LEFT AT
11. SOME BOYS START AS YOUNG AS
FIVE. LITTLE BOYS CRASHING THEIR
HEADS. INTO EACH OTHER. JASON
PLAYED THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND
THEN AT ARIZONA STATE. HE PLAYED
FOR 12 YEARS EQUIVALENT OF
PLAYING AT SIX OR SEVEN THROUGH
HIGH SCHOOL. JASON GRADUATED
COLLEGE AND WAS JUST BEGINNING
HIS MEDIA CAREER. HE HAD HIS OWN
SHOW ON NBC. PHOENIX CALLED
FRANKLIN KNOWS BEST. IT WAS JUST
A GOOFY, FUNNY SHOW. UH YOU DID
ALL SORTS OF CRAZY THINGS HE
TRIED OUT FOR THE WOMEN'S, UH,
AH PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
PRACTICE SQUAD. IT'S JUST IT WAS
A CRAZY GUY. THINGS WERE GOING
GREAT FOR HIM, AND THEN
SUDDENLY, THINGS STARTED TO GO
AWRY. AH! I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL IT WAS
TOO LATE. HE WAS EXPERIENCING
HEADACHES SIRENS IN HIS HEAD. WE
TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL HAD A
CT SCAN DONE. THEY DIDN'T SEE
ANYTHING. YOU COULDN'T SLEEP. HE
SUDDENLY BECAME WITHDRAWN. HE
WAS THREATENING AND HE SHOWED A
RAGE I HAD NEVER SEEN I TRIED TO
HELP HIM. BUT THINGS HAPPEN TOO
FAST. UNLESS THAN SIX MONTHS HE
WAS GONE. JUST AFTER HIS DEATH
THE CORNER IN ARIZONA WHO WAS
AWARE OF JASON'S MEDIA AND
FOOTBALL CAREER. SUGGESTED WE
SEND HIS BRAIN TO BOSTON
UNIVERSITY TO BE ANALYZED FOR
CTE. I THOUGHT WHAT I HAD NO
IDEA THAT FOOTBALL COULD
POSSIBLY HAVE CAUSED THIS. NEXT
SLIDE. MONTHS LATER, WE WERE
TOLD I'M NOT GOING TO READ THIS.
SLIDE IT IT HAS A BUNCH OF
MEDICAL TERMS, BUT THE BOTTOM
LINE IS WE WERE TOLD THAT JASON
WAS DIAGNOSED TO HAVE CTE STAGE
TWO THE CTE DAMAGE INCLUDED NINE
LESIONS, MOSTLY IN THE FRONTAL
LOADS, LOBES OF HIS BRAIN. THE
PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CONTROLS
IMPULSE JUDGMENT, VIOLENCE,
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. DEPRESSION
AND SUICIDALITY. EVERYTHING WE
EXPERIENCED. DR MCKEE FROM
BOSTON UNIVERSITY WHO DID THE
BRAIN AUTOPSY. NOTED TO US IT
WAS ONE OF THE WORST CASES SHE
HAD SEEN IN A PERSON OF HIS AGE.
NEXT SLIDE IN HONOR OF MY SON.
WE CREATED A FOUNDATION CALLED I
GOT YOU BECAUSE MY SON ALWAYS
TOLD HIS FRIENDS I GOT YOU. THE
INTENT WAS TO HELP THOSE IN
NEED. AND AS PART OF THIS
PROGRAM, WE REACHED OUT TO
PLAYERS OF JASON'S AGE TO LET
THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE THERE IF
THEY NEEDED SOMEBODY, AND WE
HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONTACT US. ONE
PLAYER, ZANDER IS STRUGGLING
NOW, WITH HEADACHES AND
DEPRESSION. HE STARTED PLAYING
AS A YOUTH. TWO OTHERS. OWEN AND
MCHALE HAVE ALSO CONTACTED US AS
THEY ARE CONCERNED, THEY HAVE
IT. THERE ARE ALSO STRUGGLING
WITH DEPRESSION. BOTH STARTED
PLAYING AT SEVEN. WE NEED TO
STOP THIS. AS A PARENT. IT IS
VITAL TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN
AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE FOR A
PRODUCTIVE LIFE. MY PARENTS DID
THAT FOR ME, AND I HOPE YOUR
PARENTS DID THAT FOR YOU. I
UNFORTUNATELY FAILED TO DO THAT.
EXCUSE ME FOR MY SON, JASON. AND
MILLIONS OF PARENTS EVERY YEAR
ARE FOLLOWING MY PATH BECAUSE
THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE
DANGERS OF REPETITIVE HEAD
TRAUMA IN FOOTBALL. MANY PROS
WON'T LET THEIR KIDS PLAY TACKLE
. FOOTBALL BRETT FARVE, DREW
BREES, TROY AIKMAN, TERRY
BRADSHAW, KURT WARNER, BO
JACKSON AND MANY, MANY OTHERS.
KIDS AND YOUTH FOOTBALL AVERAGE
ALMOST 400 HITS PER SEASON TO
THE HEAD. AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW
MUCH WE'VE DAMAGED THEIR BRAINS
UNTIL YEARS LATER. IF I SMACKED
MY CHILD IN THE BUT 400 TIMES IN
A GIVEN YEAR. I WOULD PROBABLY
BE ARRESTED FOR CHILD.
ENDANGERMENT OR CHILD ABUSE. YET
I CAN SIGN HIM UP TO PLAY
FOOTBALL AND A COACH CAN HAVE
HIM HIT SOMEBODY. 400 TIMES. IT
JUST MAKES NO SENSE TO ME. ON
THE OTHER HAND, A KID IN FLAG
FOOTBALL HITS HIS HEAD EIGHT
TIMES A YEAR. EIGHT, VS 400. THE
NFL IS SPONSORING FLAG FOOTBALL.
NOW THEY HAVE OVER 600,000 KIDS
PLAYING THE THERE'S 1.5 MILLION
KIDS PLAYING FLAG FOOTBALL TODAY
. THERE'S DEFINITELY WHILE I YOU
KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY
BELIEVE THAT TACKLE FOOTBALL IS
GROWING IT MAYBE BECAUSE WE ARE
NOT TALKING ENOUGH ABOUT THE
DAMAGE THAT'S BEEN CAUSED TO
THESE BRAINS. I LIVED WITH AND I
SAW THE DEVASTATION AND
VICIOUSNESS OF A BRAIN WIRING
FROM C T. E. IF I KNEW THEN WHAT
I KNOW NOW I WOULD NEVER NEVER
HAVE LET MY SON PLAY TACKLE
FOOTBALL. WE CAN'T BRING JASON
BACK. BUT THERE ARE MILLIONS
MORE JASON'S OUT THERE PLAYING
FOOTBALL AND NOT BEING PROPERLY
WARNED HOW FRAGILE THE HUMAN
BRAIN IS. PEOPLE SHOULD BE
INFORMED OF THE SHORT AND LONGER
TERM RISK OF COLLISION AND
CONTACT SPORTS THINGS LIKE CTE
SO THEY CAN AT LEAST MAKE
INFORMED DECISIONS INVOLVING
THEIR CHILDREN. BUT MERELY
INFORMING PARENTS OF THESE RISKS
RISKS THAT THEIR CHILDREN CANNOT
POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND. THAT'S NOT
ENOUGH. CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE
IN YOUTH FOOT YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL CHANGES SUCH AS FLAG
UNTIL 14 OR NO TACKLING UNTIL
HIGH SCHOOL. AS DR NOWINSKI
STATED, I THINK OTHERS HAVE
STATED OTHER CONTACTS STARTS.
SPORTS HAVE ALREADY DONE SO AND
BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE MORE MORE
AT A FEDERAL LEVEL. THE U. S
SOCCER FEDERATION CURRENTLY BANS
HEADING IN SOCCER UNDER 11 U. S
HOCKEY BANDS CHECKING UNDER 13
YEARS OLD. WHY DON'T WE DO
SOMETHING ABOUT FOOTBALL? WE
NEED TO AIR AROUND THE SIDE OF
CAUTION. IF I ASKED TWO PEOPLE
IN HERE TO PUT HELMETS ON ANY
TWO PEOPLE PUT HELMETS ON AND
RUNNING EACH OTHER FULL BLAST.
WOULD THEY TELL ME HOW MANY
PEOPLE WOULD DO THAT? WOULD YOU
DO IT RIGHT NOW? NO, BUT WE LET
OUR CHILDREN DO IT. THESE
CHANGES TO FOOTBALL WILL HELP TO
PRESERVE THE HEALTH OF OUR
CHILDREN. WE NEED TO WORK
TOGETHER TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I'M SO
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT WE'RE GOING TO GO NEXT
TO OUR SECOND PANELIST. SO. I'M
SORRY, UM PRESIDENT MIKE HAYNES.
LADIES FIRST. SURE. SURE GO
AHEAD. I DO HAVE A POWER PLANT.
SO IF WE COULD PUT THAT ON. ALL
RIGHT, SO I'M HERE WITH A VERY
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. I'M A
LITIGATION ATTORNEY. AND I'M
HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE LAW,
UM THE TORT LAW DOES NOT PROVIDE
ANY RELIEF FOR ANYONE WHO HAS
BEEN REPEATEDLY ABUSED, OR, UM,
THE COACHES HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT
FOR CREATING A SITUATION WHERE
ATHLETES ARE BEING INJURED, UM
AND SUFFERING FROM C T E, THE
ONLY RECOURSE WE HAVE REALLY IS
CHANGING THE LAW AND
SPECIFICALLY HARM REDUCTION IS
CRITICAL FOR CHILDREN UNDER 12
YEARS OLD. THE REASON WHY IT'S
SO DIFFICULT FOR ATTORNEYS TO
ACTUALLY TAKE THESE CASES IS
BECAUSE CTE CAN ONLY BE
DIAGNOSED POST MARTO MORTEM
AFTER DEATH. AND IF YOU COULD GO
INTO THE NEXT SLIDE AND ACTUALLY
FOLLOW UP THAT SLIDE. SO THE
REASON I'M HERE IS I ACTUALLY
REPRESENTED FOR FORMER UCLA
FOOTBALL PLAYERS AGAINST THE
REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE
COACHING STAFF. AS WELL AS THE
TRAINERS. AND THESE ARE THIS IS
A DIVISION ONE SCHOOL. AND THE
CASES WERE HIGHLY PUBLICIZED
BECAUSE NO ONE TAKES THESE CASES
. AND THE REASON IS THAT THE
INDUSTRY STANDARD IS THAT
FOOTBALL IS A VIOLENT SPORT.
PEOPLE HAVE TO SIGN WAIVERS,
PARENTS HAVE TO SIGN WAIVERS
STATING THAT THEY RELEASE ANYONE
FROM ANY LIABILITY TYPICALLY
WHEN THEY ENGAGE IN THIS SPORT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY TWO OF THE
PLAYERS WHO WE REPRESENTED
SUFFERED FROM SYMPTOMS
CONSISTENT WITH CTE E. AS A
RESULT THERE. UNFORTUNATELY TWO
OF THEM TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE
DURING THESE CASES, AND IT WAS
VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HIRE A
NUMBER OF EXPERTS AND DEPOSE A
NUMBER OF COLLEAGUES OF THEIRS,
IN ADDITION TO DEPOSITIONS OVER
FOUR YEARS, AND ESSENTIALLY THE
FINDINGS WERE ALL THE SAME. THAT
THE HEAD TO HEAD COMBAT IS WHAT
RESULTED IN THE CT. AND INTO
WHAT HAS RESULTED IN THESE
CHILDREN CHANGING COMPLETELY.
THE PARENTS WOULD BEG US TO TAKE
THESE CASES BECAUSE THEIR
CHILDREN WERE SIMPLY NOT THE
SAME FROM BEFORE THEY STARTED
PLAYING FOOTBALL AFTER THEY HAD
COMPLETELY CHANGED AND OVER THE
COURSE OF THIS LITIGATION, SO
MANY FAMILIES HAD REACHED OUT TO
US. SO MANY PLAYERS HAD REACHED
OUT TO US TO TELL US THAT
CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS WERE SIMPLY
NOT FOLLOWED. ESPECIALLY FOR
CHILDREN. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH. THE
PARENTS DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO
ENFORCE THE CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS
. THE COACHES DON'T NECESSARILY
KNOW HOW TO DO THIS. WE JUST
HEARD EARLIER IN PANEL TWO WHERE
THERE ARE LAWS THAT HAVE
CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS, BUT HOW DO
YOU ENFORCE THEM? HOW DO YOU
FIND ANY REDRESS FOR THESE
INDIVIDUALS? THEIR LIVES HAVE
CHANGED FOREVER. ONE OF THE
STUDENT ATHLETES I REPRESENTED
BECAME EXTREMELY VIOLENT AFTER
GOING THROUGH HUNDREDS AND
THOUSANDS OF HITS TO HIS HEAD.
THE FAMILY IS OF MODEST MEANS.
THE MOTHER BEGGED ME AND SAID,
MY SON IS NOT THE SAME. HE
BECAME VIOLENT. HE BECAME
SUICIDAL. AND JUST RECENTLY LAST
WEEK, I FOUND OUT THAT HE
ASSAULTED SOMEONE AT A DRIVE
THROUGH AND ACTUALLY COULD BE IN
JAIL FOR 40 YEARS UNLESS WE CAN
SHOW AND PROVE THAT HE HAS
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES DUE TO THE
CTS TO THE CONCUSSIONS THAT HE
SUFFERED. THEY SETTLED. THESE
CASES SETTLED, BUT THE MONEY
THAT THEY RECEIVED IS NOTHING
COMPARED TO THE LIFELONG,
DEVASTATING IMPACT ON THE
FAMILIES. ON THESE YOUNG
INDIVIDUALS, ONE OF THEM COULD
NOT FINISH GRADUATING FROM U. C.
L. A AND OTHERS WHO I DID NOT
REPRESENT HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
AS WELL, MANY TIMES AND SOME OF
THEM WERE UNFORTUNATELY
SUCCESSFUL. I ASKED THE MOM WHEN
I TOLD HER I WAS GOING TO BE
SPEAKING HERE TODAY AND SHE
RESPONDED TO ME. I SOMETIMES
WANT TO SHOUT OUT AT SOME OF
THESE PARENTS TO NOT LET THEIR
KIDS PLAY FOOTBALL BECAUSE THEIR
SON HAD 80 HD, WHICH WAS
EXACERBATED THROUGH THE
CONCUSSIONS AND THROUGH THE CTE
SYMPTOMS. THIS INDIVIDUAL CAN NO
LONGER SOCIALIZED. HE CAN NO
LONGER HOLD A JOB. AND THE
IMPACT ON THE FAMILIES IS
DEVASTATING. CALLING ATTORNEYS
TO HELP THEM TO TRY TO PUT THEIR
CHILDREN INTO MENTAL HEALTH
FACILITIES. UM, IF YOU COULD GO
TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SETTLEMENT OF
THE CASES HAS NOT CURED THE
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS THEY FACE AND SOME
PLAYERS CANNOT EVEN CONTROL
THESE VIOLENT URGES. THE FAMILY
MEMBERS ARE DEVASTATED, TRYING
TO DEAL WITH THE SYMPTOMS. THESE
LIFELONG SYMPTOMS FINAL FLIGHT.
C T E IRREVOCABLY AND TRAGICALLY
ALTERS THE LIFE TRAJECTORY OF
THOSE AFFECTED NO MATTER WHAT
DAMAGES ARE OBTAINED THROUGH ANY
LITIGATION. CALIFORNIA TORTOLA
IS INCAPABLE OF PROVIDING
REDRESS FOR THE IRREPARABLE
DAMAGE CAUSED BY C T. E.
PREVENTION THROUGH LEGISLATION
IS THEREFORE THE MOST PROPER WAY
TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL DO QUESTIONS AT
THE END. WE NOW WANT TO WELCOME
MIKE HAYNES, PRESIDENT OF MY
CANES AND ASSOCIATES PRO
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF
1997 A PLAYER FORMER PLAYER.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. AND. THANK
YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK
HERE TODAY. UM. I BELIEVE THERE
SHOULD BE A MINIMUM AGE. AT
WHICH CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED TO
PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL. I STARTED
PLAYING FOOTBALL WHEN I WAS 14.
MY MOTHER. HAD THREE KIDS. SHE
WAS ALSO HAD TWO BROTHERS
HERSELF, AND THEY PLAYED HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL IN TEXAS. WHERE
I WAS BORN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED TO MY UNCLES AND I
DON'T KNOW WHY SHE DIDN'T WANT
ME TO PLAY. TACKLE FOOTBALL
UNTIL I WAS OLDER. SO I STARTED
PLAYING TACKLE FOOTBALL. WHEN I
WAS 14. I PLAYED A JOHN MARSHALL
HIGH SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES. WE
WEREN'T VERY GOOD. WE DIDN'T
HAVE VERY GOOD COACHING. I
DIDN'T LEARN TO TACKLE IN HIGH
SCHOOL. I LEARNED TO TACKLE IN
COLLEGE AT ARIZONA STATE. TACKLE
FOOTBALL WAS SOMETHING THAT MY
MOM HAD. A BAD EXPERIENCE, AND
SO DID MY UNCLE'S. EVIDENTLY SHE
DIDN'T WANT US TO PLAY THAT BAD.
BUT IN COLLEGE WE PRACTICE
TACKLING ALL THE FREAKING TIME.
SO MUCH SO THAT I REALIZED THAT
IF I HAD STARTED PRACTICING LIKE
THAT, WHEN I WAS 567 89 YEARS
OLD. I WOULD HAVE HAD A MILLION
HITS BY THE TIME I GOT TO
COLLEGE. SO. ALL THE YEARS THAT
I'VE PRACTICED FOOTBALL AND
PLAYED FOOTBALL AS A KID. I
NEVER HAD ONE CONCUSSION. WHEN I
WAS IN COLLEGE. IN A FIESTA BOWL
GAME. I PLAYED FREE SAFETY ON A
FEW GUYS KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN CORNERS AND SAFETIES AND
OFFENSE AND DEFENSE, BUT I GOT A
CONCUSSION. THAT WAS THE FIRST
CONCUSSION I HAD EVER HAD. I WAS
A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE. I WAS
REALLY LUCKY. BECAUSE WITH THAT
CONCUSSION, I CAME OUT OF THE
GAME. AND, UM. I LOST MY MEMORY
TOTAL COGNITION. I COULDN'T TELL
YOU EVEN WHAT MY NAME WAS. BUT
BEFORE HALFTIME MY COGNITION
CAME BACK. AND I RAN TO THE
COACH AND SAID, COACH I'M BACK.
I CAN PLAY I CAN PLAY. I'M MY
MEMORIES BACK. AND, UM HE WOULD
HAVE PUT ME BACK IN THE GAME.
BUT ONE OF MY TEAMMATES I WAS A
FRESHMAN. THE GUY I HAD BEATEN
OUT WAS A SENIOR. AND HE CAME
AND SAID, MIKE, THIS IS MY LAST
GAME. THIS IS IT FOR ME. LET ME
FINISH THE GAME AS IT WAS UP TO
THE COACH. AND THE COACH SAID,
YEAH, LET HIM FINISH. WELL, WE
WON THE GAME. BUT WHAT I. FOUND
OUT OR WHAT I REALIZED YEARS
LATER. FROM STORIES LIKE THESE
AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED THAT I'VE SEEN IN MY
CAREER. IS THAT HAD I GONE BACK
INTO THAT GAME? I COULD HAVE
BEEN KNOCKED OUT. I COULD HAVE
BEEN WORSENED. SO IN COLLEGE
FOOTBALL. WE HAD A I TAKE IT
BACK. IT WAS AN NFL TEAM MATE OF
MINE. THAT WAS KNOCKED OUT COLD.
DURING THE GAME. ARE. UM MEDICAL
STAFF CAME ON THE FIELD UNTIL HE
WAS REVIVED, AND THEY TOOK HIM
OFF THE FIELD. HE WAS BACK IN IN
TWO PLAYS. SO. THE WAY THAT
PEOPLE HAVE RESPONDED TO
CONCUSSIONS AND HEAD INJURIES.
NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND I
BELIEVE NOW THESE WERE BACK IN
THE SEVENTIES, AND SINCE THEN
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
INNOVATION. THERE'S BEEN A LOT
OF CHANGES. YOU KNOW, IF YOU GET
INJURED, YEAR OUT, YOU PROBABLY
WON'T BE BACK FOR THREE WEEKS.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF CHANGES ALL
FOR THE BETTER. BUT IT'S ALSO
INDIVIDUAL. NOW YOU HAVE SOME
GUYS WHEN THEY GET CONCUSSED OR
THEY HAVE A HEAD INJURY. THEY
DON'T WANT TO GO OUT. THE
COACHES DON'T WANT TO GO OUT.
THEY'LL SAY, HEY, HOW DO YOU
FEEL? I'M GOOD. COACH SHOULDN'T
BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
THE PLAYERS SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO
MAKE THAT DECISION. SO I REALLY
AM GLAD THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY
BECAUSE IF WE PUT THE HANDS OF
THESE DECISIONS PUT IT IN YOUR
HANDS. I'M HOPING THERE WILL BE
A BIG DIFFERENCE. I REALLY AM.
BECAUSE. SOME COACHES WANT TO
WIN SO BAD THEY'LL PUT THEIR
PLAYERS IN. AND SOME PLAYERS
WANT TO BE DRAFTED INTO THE NFL
SO BADLY THEY DON'T WANT TO GO
OUT OF THE GAME. SO IT'S IN YOUR
HANDS, SO I'M GLAD I'M GLAD
ABOUT THAT. I LOVE FOOTBALL. I
REALLY DO, AND. I'M AN INNER
CITY KID. THAT, UM HAD A LOT OF
CHALLENGES IN HIS LIFE. BUT
USING FOOTBALL AS MY. STANDARD
THE THINGS I LEARNED IN FOOTBALL
LIKE HOW TO PRACTICE AND HOW TO
PREPARE AND HOW TO RECOVER AND
HOW TO EAT AND HOW TO TRAIN AND
HOW TO REST. HOW TO STAY
ELIGIBLE FOR FOOTBALL. UM ALL
THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I
LEARNED IN MY LIFE. WE'RE ALL
SUPER POSITIVE. THEY ARE REALLY
WERE. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MY
BRAIN I THINK THAT. I THINK THAT
I'VE I'VE DONE PERSONALLY DONE,
OKAY? BUT NOW I'M A LITTLE
OLDER. MY MEMORY IS NOT SO GOOD
. NOW I HAVE SIX KIDS. I DIDN'T
LET MY FIRST THREE KIDS WHICH IS
TWO BOYS AND A GIRL. I DIDN'T
LET THEM PLAY FOOTBALL. BECAUSE
MY MOM DIDN'T LET ME PLAY. THEY
PLAYED OTHER SPORTS. THEY PLAYED
BASKETBALL. THEY PLAY BASEBALL.
THEY PLAYED SOCCER. THEY DIDN'T
PLAY FOOTBALL. AND THEN ONE OF
THEM. SAID DAD, I WANT TO PLAY
JUST MY SENIOR YEAR, SO I SAID,
GO AHEAD. SO HE PLAYED ONE YEAR.
U C L A SAW HIM. THEY INVITED
HIM TO COME THERE. SO HE PLAYED
COLLEGE FOOTBALL. FORTUNATELY
FOR ME, AND FOR HIM, HE NEVER
HAD A CONCUSSION. BUT WHAT WE
KNOW NOW ABOUT IMPACT. YOU DON'T
NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A HAD A
CONCUSSION. TO HAVE A PROBLEM.
SO HE PLAYED NOW I HAVE GOT
MARRIED AGAIN. I HAVE THREE MORE
KIDS. TWO MORE BOYS. SO THIS
TIME I SAID, YOU KNOW. I HAD
SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE PLAYING
FOOTBALL. I WANT MY BOYS TO PLAY
FOOTBALL. AND SO I COACHED. AND
AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE I WAS
LIVING IN CONNECTICUT. AND
WORKING AT THE NFL. AND SO I HAD
THE ABILITY TO GO TALK TO THE
NFL LEADERS AND TALK TO THEM
ABOUT CONCUSSIONS ABOUT PRACTICE
ABOUT DRILLS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT. SO THEY GAVE ME GOOD
ADVICE, WHICH HELPED MY TEAM. I
SAID, I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO
GET CONCUSSED. NONE OF THE KIDS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT MY KIDS. I'M
NOT TALKING ABOUT MY TWO BOYS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT MY TEAM IN
CONNECTICUT. WE DIDN'T PRACTICE
LIKE THE OTHER TEAMS PRACTICE
THEY WERE DOING. TACKLING DRILLS
AS YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT
EARLIER HERE WHERE GUYS WOULD
LAY DOWN ON THE GROUND, THE
COACH WOULD BLOW A WHISTLE AND
THEY WOULD JUMP UP AND RUN INTO
EACH OTHER, AND ONE WOULD HAVE
THE BALL AND ONE WOULD BE THE
TACKLER. I DIDN'T LIKE THOSE
DRILLS. AND I DID NOT WANT ANY
OF THOSE KIDS. TO SUSTAIN A
CONCUSSION OR HAVE ANY TYPE OF
HEAD INJURY. YOU MIGHT THINK
THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE A GREAT
TEAM. WE GOT TO THE FINALS. WE
DIDN'T WIN THE WHOLE
CHAMPIONSHIP. BUT WE HAD A GOOD
SEASON. SO MY SON, THOUGH. WHEN
I WAS YOU KNOW, MY CURRENT SONS,
ONE PLAYED IN BOSTON COLLEGE.
HE'S A QUARTERBACK IN HIGH
SCHOOL. THE OTHER ONE IS, UM,
GOING TO RIGHT NOW AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA IS A WIDE
RECEIVER. I LET THEM PLAY
BECAUSE I COACHED. AND I MADE
SURE THAT MY KIDS WERE SAFE AND
I MADE SURE THE COACHES THAT
WE'RE COACHING THEM. WE'RE USING
GREAT TACTICS, AND IF A KID WAS
INJURED, I MADE THE SURE THE
COACH DID THE RIGHT THING, BUT
THAT'S JUST ME. UM I ACTUALLY
SAW IN ONE GAME. WERE A KID WAS
HIT IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD. AND
KNOCKED DOWN TO THE GROUND. IT'S
PROBABLY 10 YEARS OLD. 12 YEARS
OLD RIGHT AROUND THERE, AND HE'S
LAYING ON THE GROUND CRYING. AND
THE OTHER COACH ON THE OTHER
TEAM RAN ONTO THE FIELD. AND YOU
WOULD THINK THAT HE WOULD SAY TO
HIS HIS KID THAT WHO HIT OUR
KID? THAT, YOU KNOW, DON'T HIT
HIM IN THE HEAD. BUT HE DIDN'T
SAY THAT. HE JUST SAID, ARE YOU
OKAY? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT TO HIS
KID? I SAID, WHAT ABOUT OUR KID.
AND SO THEN THE OFFICIAL I SAID
, SIR, YOU SHOULD THROW THIS KID
OUT OF THE GAME. YOU NEED TO
MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF THAT KID
. OTHERWISE ALL KIDS ARE GOING
TO BE DOING THIS. THEY'RE ALL
GOING TO BE RUN DOWN THE FIELD
AND TRYING TO HIT A KID IN THE
HEAD SO HE CAN'T COME BACK IN
THE GAME AND PLAY. HE DIDN'T DO
THAT. HE JUST TOLD THE KID HE
HAD TO GO OUT FOR A PLAY. MY
KID. HE DIDN'T PLAY. FOR THE
NEXT THREE GAMES. THAT KID. WENT
OUT FOR A FEW PLAYS. SO THE WAY
THAT ORGANIZATIONS LOOK AT. HEAD
INJURIES, TRAUMA CONCUSSIONS. I
THINK IT REALLY MATTERS. AND
THAT'S WHY I'M GLAD WE'RE HERE
TODAY. TALKING ABOUT IT AND
PUTTING IT IN YOUR HANDS AND
GIVING YOU FOLKS THE YOU KNOW
THE REAL SKINNY, I GUESS. YOU
KNOW, CALIFORNIA IS A GREAT
STATE. AND LOVES HIS PEOPLE. AND
ABSOLUTELY LOVES ITS SPORTS. AND
I'M HOPING THAT YOU GUYS WILL
ASK QUESTIONS AND COME UP WITH A
FAIR UH, WAYS TO DEAL WITH THESE
KINDS OF ISSUES. UM. IN THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. IT'S
BEEN AN ISSUE THERE, TOO. AND
THEY THEY TAKEN DIFFERENT. UM.
TRACKS TO TRY AND RESOLVE THESE
ISSUES AS WELL. AND I REALIZED
THERE ARE YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES
IT'S IS IT ABOUT THE HEALTH OF
THE PLAYER. IS IT ABOUT THE
HEALTH OF THE GAME? YOU KNOW,
THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES. BUT
TO ME, I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE
PLAYER'S HEALTH. I JUST TURNED
70. AND I WANT TO MAKE IT TO
120. AND I'M STARTING TO SEE
DIFFERENT CHALLENGES IN MY OWN
COGNITION. NOW THAT I'M
CERTAINLY A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY,
HEY, YOU'RE 70. YOU KNOW, UM I
SEE A LOT OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS
THAT I PLAYED WITH. THEY DID NOT
MAKE IT. TIP 50. SOME DID NOT
MAKE IT TO 40. AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE WOULD SAY A LOT OF IT IS
BECAUSE THEY PLAYED YOUTH
FOOTBALL. THAT THEIR COGNITION
WAS NOT. NOT THE GREATEST AND
THEY MADE BAD DECISIONS IN THEIR
LIFE. SO I'M GLAD I'M HERE. AND
YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
A CHANGE IN IN THE LOT OF THE
POLICIES SO THAT YOU KNOW MORE
PEOPLE CAN HAVE GREAT LIVES AND
GREAT EXPERIENCES AND WE DON'T
GIVE COACHES THE UH, AUTHORITY
TO DAMAGE OUR OUR CHILDREN.
THANK YOU. AH WITH THAT. WE
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU COMING. I
KNOW THAT, UM DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS? YES I KNOW. WE'RE
RUNNING SHORT ON TIME, BUT TWO
QUESTIONS, BUT FOR SOMEONE TO
THANK, UM MISS FRANKLIN FOR
COMING HERE AND SHARING SHARING
YOUR STORY. I APPRECIATE YOUR
COURAGE, STEPPING UP AND
ENSURING YOUR SON'S HISTORY. AND
ALSO IT'S TOUGH FOR YOU. SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU AND THEN
FOR, UM MRS IT TO COURT. YES. DO
YOU THINK I KNOW HE WAS JUST AN
INFORMATIONAL HEARING. THERE'S
NOT ANY BILLS VOTING ON TODAY
TODAY, BUT WE DO DO THAT
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR.
UM, THERE MAY MAY NOT BE A
POLICY DECISION ONE DAY ON THIS,
UM BUT BUT DO YOU THINK THAT
ABSENT LEGISLATION THAT THIS
ISSUE POTENTIALLY WILL BE
SETTLED EITHER WAY, AND IN LEGAL
ACTIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL OR THE INSURANCE
INDUSTRY OR THERE ARE OTHER, YOU
KNOW FACTORS AT PLAY IN THIS
WHOLE ISSUE WITH SAFETY AND YOU
TACKLE FOOTBALL. UNFORTUNATELY
NO, BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY
STANDARD IS THAT IT'S A VIOLENT
SPORT. AND SO TO SHOW THAT THERE
IS NEGLIGENCE. YOU HAVE TO SHOW
GROSS NEGLIGENCE AND YOU HAVE TO
SHOW THAT IT'S BEYOND THE
STANDARDS IN THE INDUSTRY. SO
THE ONLY WAY FOR THERE TO BE A
CHANGES THROUGH THE STATE
LEGISLATION SO I AM HONORED TO
BE HERE BECAUSE I SAW FIRSTHAND
LITIGATING THESE CASES. THE
UPHILL BATTLE THAT MY CLIENTS
FACED. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO
GET INDUSTRY EXPERTS WE SETTLED
, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IT
TAKES TO PURSUE THESE CASES WITH
EXPERT WITNESSES AND SO FORTH.
UM AND TO SHOW THAT SOMETHING IS
BELOW THE STANDARD OF CARE
BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS
EVERYONE SIGNED A WAIVER. YOU'VE
RELEASED YOUR CLAIMS, AND HOW
CAN IT BE NEGLIGENCE? IT'S A
VIOLENT SPORT. YOU KNOW, YOU
KNEW THIS COMING IN THAT THERE
WOULD BE HEAD TO HEAD CONTACT.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT LITIGATION IS
NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING, AND
FORTUNATELY IT'LL GET SOME
MONEY. INTO THE HANDS OF THE
INJURED PLAYERS WHO WERE ABUSED
OR THE PLAY'S. THE DRILLS WERE
LIKE OKLAHOMA DRILLS OR THINGS
WERE DONE BEYOND WHAT'S YOU
KNOW? ALLOWABLE UNDER THE
REGULATIONS OR SO FORTH, SO THIS
IS WHY I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT
WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, UM AND I
THINK THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY
PROTECT THESE CHILDREN IS TO
TAKE A BOLD STEP IN A MOVE SUCH
AS ASSEMBLY BILL 7 34. AND I
THINK THERE ARE ADDITIONAL
CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE. I
THINK ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS
MECHANISMS ARE CRITICAL BECAUSE
EVEN IF THERE IS A LITIGATION WE
CAN'T ENFORCE THAT COACHES GOING
FORWARD WILL ACTUALLY FOLLOW
CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS THAT IS
LACKING AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING
EVEN IN DIVISION ONE SCHOOLS.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, UM, UM
, OUR COLLEAGUE HERE, SAID THE
COACHES THEY WANT TO WIN. SO
IT'S ACTUALLY THEY WILL PUT THE
PLAYERS BACK IN WITHOUT
FOLLOWING THE FULL CONCUSSION
PROTOCOLS AND A LOT OF TIMES THE
PLAYERS WANT TO PLAY AND THEY
GET MARGINALIZED BY OTHERS ON
THE TEAM IF THEY DON'T QUICKLY
GET BACK IN THE GAME. SO WE SAW
THAT HAPPENING REPEATEDLY. THANK
YOU. UM AND THEN. LASTLY MR
HAYNES, THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING TODAY. YOU KNOW,
GROWING UP HERE? JUST DOWN THE
ROAD, MY LITTLE BROTHER AND I
WATCHED A LOT OF FOOTBALL AND HE
ACTUALLY PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLLEGE FOOTBALL AS WELL. MY
YOUNGER BROTHER WHEN WE WERE
FIVE, MY MOM WENT TO THE STORE
AND BOUGHT TWO PAIR OF PAJAMAS
AND ONE WAS 49 PAJAMAS. AND ONE
WAS A RAIDER. PAJAMA MY LITTLE
BROTHER LIKE THE PATCH. SO HE
BECAME A RAIDER FAN, AND I
BECAME A NINER FAN LITERALLY TO
THIS DAY THAT THOSE ARE OUR
TEAMS. SO HE HE WAS A NINER. I'M
IN A RAIDER FAN. AND SO I
REMEMBER WATCHING YOU AND SET
YOU AND LESTER HAYES AND THAT
CORNERBACKS FOR THE RAIDERS WHEN
WE WERE KIDS, SO, UM THANK YOU
FOR SHOWING UP TODAY AND FOR
SHARING, SHARING YOUR
PERSPECTIVE, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT
OF FORMER ATHLETES JUST PAID OFF
IN THE SUNSET. SO YOU'RE
STEPPING IN AND TRYING TO SHARE
PERSPECTIVE. I KNOW A LOT OF
YOUR KIND OF FRATERNITY OF
FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAVE
STEPPED UP AND SAID ONE. I
DIDN'T PLAY UNTIL I WAS 14. YEAH
THAT'S ME. BRADY'S UM THAT'S A
LOT OF GUYS. MIKE SINGLETARY,
WALTER PAYTON. THE LIST GOES ON
ON, BUT A LOT OF OTHERS HAVE
SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD
HAVE THIS THIS MINIMUM AGE. UM
I'M SURE SOME OTHER PLAYERS HAVE
OTHER OPINIONS, TOO. BUT YOU
KNOW WHAT? WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND
CLEAR. WANT TO ASK YOU IN YOUR
OPINION, THE NFL THERE. THEY
HAVE CHECKERED HISTORY ON THIS
AND LAWSUITS AND SETTLEMENTS AND
THEY ARE DOING MORE ON THE
PROFESSIONAL LEVEL. THEY ARE
DOING MORE AS WE HEARD THESE
YOUTH LEAGUES THEY'RE DOING
RIGHT HERE IN SACRAMENTO. THESE
YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUES. UM
WHY DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE NOT
EMBRACED WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN
THAT THERE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM
AGE FOR TACKLE? WHY ISN'T THE
NFL AS AN ASSOCIATION? COMING
OUT WITH OPINION ON THAT. I
THINK THEY JUST HAVE LEFT IT UP
TO THE PARENTS. YOU KNOW, I
DON'T THINK THEY YOU KNOW THAT?
THEY'RE THEY'RE IN BUSINESS TO
GROW THE GAME. AND I THINK THAT
THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO
GROW THE GAME IS EVEN WITH FLAG
FOOTBALL. EVEN ENCOURAGING WOMEN
TO PLAY FLAG FOOTBALL. THAT'S
STILL GROWING THE GAME WE'RE
GETTING. MAYBE WE'RE NOT GETTING
YOUNG BOYS PLAYING FOOTBALL
TACKLE FOOTBALL. BUT WE'RE
GETTING WOMEN INTO THE SPORT. SO
UM, THAT'S THAT'S MY GUESS. I
DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT EVERY
SINGLE GUY THAT PLAYED IN THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FEELS
LIKE ME. YOU KNOW, UM WHEN I SEE
A YOUNG BOY 10 YEARS OLD RUNNING
OVER ANOTHER BOY WHO'S NINE OR
10 YEARS OLD AND KNOCKING SNOT
OUT OF HIM. I'M NOT THE GUY
WHO'S GOING TO PICK HIM UP AND
SAY, GREAT HIT. THAT'S NOT ME,
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AT THAT AGE, I
JUST WANTED TO LEARN THE GAME.
LEARN THE SPORT. LEARN THE RULES
LEARN THE TECHNIQUE. I DON'T
WANT YOU TO LEARN HOW TO INJURE
OTHER GUYS NOW I REMEMBER WHEN I
STARTED PLAYING, I HAD NO IDEA
THAT SEVERAL YEARS LATER, I
WOULD FEEL DIFFERENT ABOUT
DIFFERENT THINGS. WE HAD COACHES
THAT WOULD SAY SOMEHOW, SOME WAY
WE GOT TO GET KEVIN MCCARTHY OUT
OF THE GAME. YOU KNOW WHAT I
MEAN? THAT'S NOT. YOU KNOW, I
DON'T EVEN KNOW IF MY IF MY MOM
HEARD THAT SHE PROBABLY WOULD
NEVER HAVE LET ME PLAY FOOTBALL,
YOU KNOW? UM AND I REALIZED
LATER LIKE, GEEZ. I CAN'T
BELIEVE THAT I TRIED TO HURT
THAT GUY. I DON'T NEED TO HURT
HIM TO WIN THE GAME. WHY ARE WE
TRYING TO HURT HIM? WHY CAN'T WE
CHANGE THE WAY WE PLAY THE GAME
OR THINK ABOUT THE GAME? WHY ARE
PEOPLE GETTING SO EXCITED THAT
THAT GUY GOT KNOCKED OUT? I
DON'T GET THAT PART. THAT'S NOT
SUPER IMPORTANT. IN TERMS OF
LEARNING THE GAME OR PLAYING THE
GAME. UH AND THIS GAME HAS
GOTTEN A LOT BETTER SINCE I WAS
A KID. AND I THINK IT'S GOT SOME
WAYS TO GO EVEN TODAY. THANK
YOU. UH AGAIN. THANK YOU. IS
THAT A SPECIAL RING THAT YOU
HAVE ON YOUR YES, IT'S A IT'S A
HALL OF FAME. RING UP. SHOW IT
OFF. ALRIGHT I'LL SHOW IT OFF.
ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE IT? OH WOW
. BEAUTIFUL WELL, WE CAN SAFELY
SAY THAT, UH THERE ARE FANS HERE
AND SPORTS BRINGS OUT FANS, AND
THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT TO
SPORTS. I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST
THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IT'S ALL
THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON A TEAM
FROM BEING, UH, NOT ONLY THE
PHYSICAL PART, BUT THE MENTAL
PART BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS
BUILDING. UM DISCIPLINE. ALL WE
HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT JOHN
WOODEN FOR HIS PYRAMID OF
SUCCESS OF EVERYTHING THAT
SPORTS BRING OUT. FROM SKILL SET
TO MINDSET, AND I THINK, UH,
THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE
SAID FROM THE TRAGIC UH, UM,
STORY ABOUT YOUR SON TO THE
POSITIVE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN
KIDS GET ONTO A FIELD OR AN ICE
RINK OR A POOL. I TOO HAVE, UM
AND REALLY ONLY HERE BECAUSE OF
SPORTS. UH I WAS A VERY, VERY
POOR SWIMMER, BUT I SWIM ON A
COMPETITIVE TEAM. FROM THE TIME
I WAS REALLY IN JUNIOR HIGH.
THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND EVEN A
FEW YEARS INTO COLLEGE, AND ALL
OF THOSE SKILL SETS REALLY ARE
THE ONLY REASON THAT I WAS ABLE
TO GO OFF TO, UM TO COLLEGE. UM
UNLIKE MY SIBLINGS ON FIRST IN
MY FAMILY TO GRADUATE, AND SO I
HAVE A STRONG MINDSET OF HOW
IMPORTANT SPORTS ARE AND, UH,
EVEN MORE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, WE KNOW
THAT THERE'S SOME REALLY
DEVASTATING, UM ASPECTS WHEN WE
SEE YOUTH THAT ARE NOT INVOLVED
THAT YOUTH SO FORTH, BUT WITH
THAT, UM, WE KNOW THAT, UH AS AS
WE AGE AS A SOCIETY, WE LEARN
MORE AND MORE AND WE HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO TAKE THAT NEW
INFORMATION IN SO I THANK YOU
FOR COMING. ALL OF YOU AND WE'RE
GOING TO GO AHEAD AND NOW OPEN
IT UP TO THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. YOU
REALLY ADDED AGAIN. WE ARE SO
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. ALRIGHT SO
WITH THAT WE WILL BE ASKING YOU
TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE WILL
TAKE PUBLIC TESTIMONY FROM THOSE
THAT ARE HERE AND THEN WE WILL
GO TO OUR PHONE LINES. UH AND
PLEASE JOIN US AT THE MICROPHONE
AND STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH
WELCOME. HI THERE. CAN YOU HEAR
ME? YES MY NAME IS ALI CRAMER
AND I'M STANDING HERE TODAY TO
REMEMBER MY LATE FATHER, BRUCE
CRAMER. AND TO ASK THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA TO PROTECT CHILDREN
FROM CT BY SETTING A MINIMUM AGE
FOR TACKLE FOOTBALL. MY FATHER
WAS A FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO
SUFFERED FROM CTE DUE TO THE
REPETITIVE HEAD IMPACTS, HE
EXPERIENCED ROLE PLAYING THE
SPORT. HE PLAYED FOR 15 YEARS,
STARTING AT THE AGE OF SEVEN AND
QUICKLY EXCELLED SO MUCH THAT
WHEN HIS FAMILY HAD TO MOVE
TOWNS PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL, THE
COACH ASKED IF HE COULD STAY
BEHIND AND ACTUALLY OFFERED TO
FIND A FAMILY TO HOUSE HIM. HE
DIDN'T TAKE THAT COACH UP ON HIS
OFFER, BUT HE DID GO ON TO BE AN
ALL AMERICAN TIGHT END AND WIDE
RECEIVER IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE
RECEIVED OFFERS FROM NEARLY A
DOZEN UNIVERSITIES AND MADE IT
TO THE ROSE BOWL TWICE. THESE
ARE THE STORIES WE LIKE TO
REMEMBER. BUT BY HIGH SCHOOL IF
YOU TOOK A HIT, HE'D HAVE A HARD
TIME RECALLING HIS PLAYS DURING
THE GAME. THIS BECAME SUCH A
COMMON OCCURRENCE THAT HIS COACH
WOULD LET HIS DAD INTO THE
LOCKER ROOM TO HELP HIM AFTER
THE GAMES. BY THE TIME HE GOT TO
COLLEGE, HE SUFFERED HEADACHES
SO SEVERE DURING FOOTBALL THAT
HE WOULD REMAIN DISORIENTED FOR
DAYS. IN HIS THIRTIES, HE BEGAN
HAVING PANIC ATTACKS. MANY
PEOPLE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT WAS
HAPPENING TO HIM UNTIL HIS
FIFTIES. HE WENT FROM THINKING
WE WENT FROM THINKING HE WAS
DEPRESSED. ASSUMING HE HAD A
VERY AGGRESSIVE FORM OF EARLY
ALZHEIMER'S, AND LATER
PARKINSON'S. HE SOMEHOW MADE IT
TO THE AGE OF 80. BUT THAT IS
THE CRUEL REALITY. MANY WOULD
HAVE CHOSEN DEATH OVER WHAT
BECAME OF HIM WHEN CT TOOK OVER
HIS BODY. I WATCHED HIM SHRIVEL
UP INTO A SHELL OF HIMSELF. FOR
DECADES, LOSING HIS MEMORY, HIS
ABILITY TO SPEAK TO DO ANY OF
THE THINGS HE LOVED AND BECOMING
TRAPPED IN HIS BODY. WHEN THE
BOSTON NEW RESEARCHERS EXAMINED
HIS BRAIN, THEY FOUND STAGE FOUR
CT. IN FACT, THE MEMBRANE THAT
DIVIDES THE TWO HALVES OF YOUR
BRAIN WAS ENTIRELY DISINTEGRATED
. THE RESEARCHERS RECALLED THAT
THE TRAUMA WAS SO SEVERE THIS IS
WHAT THEY TYPICALLY SEE IN
BOXERS. BUT MY DAD DIDN'T EVEN
PLAY IN THE NFL. HE PLAYED AS A
KID, AND I WAS A YOUNG MAN. I
CAME HERE TODAY AS THE DAUGHTER
OF A FOOTBALL STAR. EVERY YOUTH
COACH AND PARENT IN THE ROOM
DREAMS THAT THEY'LL HAVE A
PLAYER TO GROW UP TO HAVE THE
CAREER MY DAD DID, AND I'M HERE
TO TELL YOU IT'S A FALSE PRICE.
IT DESTROYED MY FATHER AND MY
FAMILY BEARS THE SCARS OF HIM
STRUGGLING AND LOSING HIS FIGHT
TO C T. I BELIEVE THE STATE
NEEDS TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE
GENERATIONS AND STEP IN FROM
THEM, DESTROYING THEIR FUTURE
THROUGH TACKLE FOOTBALL. THAT
MEANS SETTING A REASONABLE
MINIMUM AGE TO PLAY TACKLE
FOOTBALL. AT LEAST 14. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. HI. CAN YOU HEAR
ME? YES MY NAME IS DR LISA
D'ANGELO. AND I'M A PROFESSOR AT
SACRAMENTO STATE, AND I'M ALSO A
SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS AND
HAVE BEEN FOR 35 YEARS. I'M HERE
ACTUALLY TODAY TO REPRESENT THE
CALIFORNIA SPEECH AND HEARING
SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND HEARING
ASSOCIATION, OUR TASK FORCE ON
SCHOOL AGE, CONCUSSION AND BRAIN
INJURIES. I HAVE BEEN A
RESEARCHER AND I'VE ASSESSED AND
TREATED CHILDREN AND ADULTS AND
DONE RESEARCH ON TB CONCUSSIONS
FROM MY ENTIRE CAREER. I HAVE
ALSO WORKED IN HOSPITALS. I
CURRENTLY ALSO WORKED FOR UCD
REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. I WORK
FOR DAVIS JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT AND I TEACH FULL TIME
IN MY SPARE TIME. I AM I HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO SEE THIS FROM FROM
THE VERY BEGINNING WITH YOUNG
CHILDREN ALL THE WAY THROUGH
ADULTHOOD. I AM JUST WANTED TO
MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS VERY
CLEAR, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT WAS
VERY CLEAR WITH A LOT OF OUR
PRESENTERS TODAY THAT
CONCUSSIONS ARE BRAIN INJURY.
AND BRAIN INJURIES AND INTERRUPT
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND BRAIN
INJURY AND ERUPTING DEVELOPMENT
ACTUALLY CAN HAVE LONG TERM
CONSEQUENCES AND SOCIAL SKILLS,
COMMUNICATION LEARNING AND
MEMORY AND ADULT SUCCESS. WE
KNOW THESE THINGS, AND WE ARE
AWARE OF THIS. AND WE ALSO HAVE,
YOU KNOW POLICIES THAT ARE MAYBE
THERE BUT NOT TOTALLY FOLLOWED
PEOPLE PARENTS. I WAS A PARENT
OF MY THREE BOYS. AS WELL
SIGNED, THE PROTOCOLS WENT TO
THE EDUCATION, BUT PEOPLE DON'T
REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE
LOOKING FOR. THEY MAY NOT
UNDERSTAND THE SHORT TERM AND
THE LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES AND
UNFORTUNATELY LOT OF PRIMARY
CARE PHYSICIANS, PEDIATRICIANS,
E R. DOCTORS ARE NOT EVEN AWARE
OF THE ACTUAL LONG TERM
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES SO
CHILDREN ARE SENT BACK TO PLAY
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SENT BACK
TO PLAY, MAYBE BEFORE THEIR
BRAINS HAVE HEALED. WE KNOW
ABOUT SECOND IMPACT SYNDROME,
WHICH IS IF YOU HAVEN'T HEALED
FROM THE FIRST CONCUSSION, AND
YOU HAVE ANOTHER CONCUSSION
BEFORE YOU'RE HEALED, THAT CAN
ACTUALLY RESULT IN DEATH, BRAIN
BLEEDING OR LONG TERM COGNITIVE
DYSFUNCTION. WE DO KNOW THAT
CONCUSSIONS EVEN THOUGH THEY
USED TO BE CALLED GETTING YOUR
BELL RUNG. ARE A BIGGER THING
THAN GETTING YOUR BELL RUNG. IT
CAN HAVE LONG TERM IMPACT, AND
THERE'S A LOT OF STUDIES OUT
THERE. I'M GOING TO BE
SUBMITTING A LETTER THAT WILL
INCLUDE SOME OF THE INFORMATION
THAT WE'VE GATHERED. WE WOULD
LOVE TO SHARE A PERSPECTIVE ON
THIS FURTHER AND WE'D LOVE TO,
YOU KNOW, BE PART OF THE ONGOING
DISCUSSION AND HOW TO ADDRESS
THIS AND WE SUPPORT A B 7 34 FOR
CREATING THE MINIMUM AGE FOR
TACKLE FOOTBALL BECAUSE THERE'S
NO REASON TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW
THIS ONGOING DAMAGE THAT
POTENTIALLY AFFECTS DEVELOPED
AFFECTS DEVELOPING BRAINS. THANK
YOU. I'M REALLY SHORT. SORRY HI
. MY NAME IS NICOLE YOUNG AND
I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON ANYTHING. I
DON'T HAVE ANY FANCY CREDENTIALS
BEHIND MY NAME. BUT I AM A MOM
AND I'M A MOM OF FIVE SONS AND I
HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUILDING.
MAYBE 200 TIMES SINCE 2020 WHAT
I WATCHED CAL LEG Dð. AS WE
BUILT. WE'VE ALLOWED THE
LEGISLATURE TO BUILD AN ALTAR
OUT OF SAFETY AND WE DID IT WHEN
THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED, AND WE
GREATLY HARMED OUR YOUTH, AND WE
HEARD SOMEBODY SPEAK ABOUT
CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND THE RATES
ARE CLIMBING. AND WHAT HAVE ALSO
SEEN AS BEING IN THIS BUILDING
IS BILLS ARE INCREMENTAL. AND I
QUICKLY LEARNED WHAT THAT MEANT
IS YOU BUILD ON THESE BILLS. SO
WE SAID IN THE MINIMUM AGE FOR
TACKLE FOOTBALL. AND THEN WHAT
OTHER SPORT? ARE WE GOING TO SET
A MINIMUM AGE ON AND THEN WHAT
OTHER SPORT? ARE WE GOING TO
MOVE ON TO ELIMINATE? AND LIVING
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND
WATCHING THE WAY CAL LEG
OPERATES. MY FEAR IS THAT WE
WILL END UP SACRIFICING OUR
CHILDREN ON THIS ALTAR OF SAFETY
, AND I BELIEVE WHAT THIS BILL
IS INTENDING TO DO IS GIVE
PARENTS INFORMED CONSENT AND I
AM IN FULL FAVOR OF INFORMED
CONSENT. I AM NOT IN FULL FAVOR
OF COW LEG LEGISLATING AWAY
PARENTAL CHOICE IN ANY MATTERS
AND WE KEEP HEARING CHILDREN
CANNOT CONSENT. I FIND THAT
REALLY CURIOUS WHEN I'VE WATCHED
A LOT OF BILLS PASSED THROUGH
THIS LEGISLATURE, GIVING
CHILDREN EXACTLY THAT. CONSENT.
SO I BELIEVE WHILE THIS BILL HAS
A LOT OF REALLY GOOD POINTS I
WOULD LIKE TO MAINTAIN FOCUS ON
MOSTLY INFORMED CONSENT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. WELCOME HELLO,
MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME
TO STAND HERE IN THIS PLACE AND
HAVE HAVE MY SAY. EXCUSE ME. I
AM SAM ROBINSON. I'M CURRENTLY
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN
MARINE BRONCOS, WHICH IS A YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION AND
MARIN COUNTY. MY PREDECESSOR,
JOE RAFTER, WAS ON THE SAVE
CALIFORNIA YOUTH FOOTBALL
CONDITION. UM, AND I'LL TELL YOU
MY ASSOCIATION HAS REALLY
SPEARHEADED, ARE WE. WE'VE DONE
WHAT A B ONE WASN'T INTENDED TO
DO EVEN BEFORE MAYBE ONE WAS A
THING RIGHT IN TERMS OF MAKING
SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO,
UM UM WASN'T A COACH ARE SOMEONE
WHO WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH OUR
WITH OUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY WERE THE SECOND EYES ON THE
ON THE FIELD BEHIND OUR CULTURE
STAFF TO TAKE CARE OF OUR KIDS
AS A AS ASSOCIATION OURSELVES.
UM WE DO WE BASELINE TESTING ME
FOR WE HAVE OUR KIDS GET OUT
THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS
THIS THERE'S THIS PLACE TO GO
BACK TO YOU IF THERE IS A
CONCUSSION, RIGHT? AND WHEN WE
LOOK WHEN WE YOU KNOW IT FROM MY
EXPERIENCE. I'VE HAD THREE BOYS
HAVE THREE WILL HAVE THREE BOYS
WHO ALWAYS PLAYED YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL ONCE 20 HAVE A 15 YEAR
OLD IS PLAYING IN HIGH SCHOOL.
NOW IN MY NINE YEAR OLD JUST
STARTED AND I'LL TELL YOU I HAVE
ONE SIDE WHO HAD A CONCUSSION,
BUT IT WASN'T ON THE FOOTBALL
FIELD. IT WAS WHILE I WAS
PLAYING BASKETBALL. RIGHT ON
THAT. THAT THAT NON VIOLENT
SPORT, UH ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
ESPECIALLY YOUNG GUYS, YOUNG
YOUNG KIDS. THEY HAVE THIS
EQUIPMENT. THIS HELMET. THEY
HAVE THESE PADS. THEY HAVE THESE
THINGS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO
PROTECT THEM. AND EVERY EVERY
WEEKEND WHEN I'M OUT THERE IT
WORKS. IT WORKS. IT WORKS AND
MAYBE ONE IN THE PRACTICES IN
PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS ARE
SAFE. IT WORKS AND SO SETTING A
LIMIT. BEYOND WHAT? UH AH. WHAT
WE HAVE TODAY. DEFINITELY
OPPOSED TO THAT. I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE
KIDS THAT ARE OUT THERE WHO HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET NEW
PEOPLE INTO JUST GROW THESE
RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND THEIR
CURRENT CIRCLES AND COMMUNITIES.
PLEASE. I BEG YOU. I'M POOR.
YOU, UH IF YOU CONSIDER THE KIDS
. IT'S BIG. IT'S THERE ARE MANY
THINGS TO CONSIDER. I UNDERSTAND
THAT 81 HAS DONE A LOT TO MAKE
SURE THAT USED TO TACKLE
FOOTBALL IS SAVED. AND SO THANK
YOU FOR THAT. THANKS FOR THAT.
THANK YOU. ALRIGHT SEE NOBODY
ELSE COMING UP FROM THE
AUDIENCE. WE'RE GOING TO GO
AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE PUBLIC
COMMENT ON CALL LIST. WE ARE
GOING TO KEEP IT TO ONE MINUTE
AND UNDER, UH, AS FAR AS PEOPLE
COMING IN OR CALLING IN, UH,
LET'S SEE MADAM SECRETARY ON THE
PHONE LAYING LINES. LET'S GO
AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PHONE
LINES. YOU FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU MAY PRESS ONE, THEN ZERO. WE
WILL GO TO LIKE 17. YOUR LINE IS
OPEN. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. SO LET
ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.
LEGISLATORS WANT TO REGULATE
TACKLE FOOTBALL TO TRY TO EVEN
IT OUT OR MAKE IT ILLEGAL. WHY
DID TACKLE FOOTBALL? WHY DON'T
YOU TARGETING US FATHER PAUL HAS
170,000 CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 14.
THEY'VE BEEN TREATED IN
HOSPITALS. FOR THOSE IN FOR
BASKETBALL RELATED INJURIES.
WHAT ABOUT BASKETBALL? FOOTBALL
WHAT ABOUT SOCCER 80,000
CHILDREN THAT GET INJURED EVERY
YEAR BICYCLE IN 200,000 CHILDREN
GET INJURED WITH BICYCLING
TALKING, LET'S BRING UP ICE
HOCKEY 20,000 CHILDREN AGES FIVE
AND 14 RETREATED HOSPITAL
EMERGENCIES FOR THESE INJURIES.
VARIETY. MM HMM. GOSH THERE'S
LIKE 6.5 MILLION CHILDREN THAT
PARTICIPATE IN KARATE. DID YOU
ALSO KNOW IN LINE ROLLER SKATING
47,000 BEAR. PARENTS. JUST LIKE
COACHES NOW THE REST OF SPORT AS
WELL AS STUDENTS FOUND WAVING.
THEY KNOW THE RISKS, AND THERE
ARE MANY SAFETY REGULATIONS PUT
IN PLACE TO ALREADY PROTECT HITS
IN THIS SPORT. YOU WILL NOT
INTERRUPT ME. I APPRECIATE THE
TESTIMONY OF FORMER HALL BEAMER
PLAYER, HOWEVER, YOU WERE GIVEN
THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND
PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL. AND YOU
PARTICIPATED SECONDS, PLEASE.
SURE I WOULD JUST LIKE TO END
THIS WITH THIS. THAT USED ARE
NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE DANGEROUS
LOCALS DECISION THERE IRRITABLE
SURGERIES, HARMFUL MEDICATIONS
THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
THEN WHY COULD THEY MAKE THE
UNDERSTATED IF THEY WANT TO
PLAY? TALK FOOTBALL? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NEXT. THANK YOU.
WE'LL GO TO LINE 31. HELLO. AM I
ON? YES GO AHEAD. NAMES ARE
YELLOW. MY NAME IS BRUCE. I AM A
RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR ON
SHOPPING CUSTOMERS TRAUMA AS A
RESULT OF MY SON'S DEATH BY
SUICIDE AT 17. HE WAS A FOOTBALL
PLAYER WRESTLER AND A BAND A
SNOWBOARDER. THIS IS NOT A CTE
ISSUE. THIS IS ABOUT CHILD'S
BRAIN HEALTH. AND OVERALL DAMAGE
TO THEIR BRAINS, THE ONLY ONE
THEY HAVE AND IT'S OVERALL GOOD
PUBLIC POLICY. WE CANNOT MAKE
FOOTBALL SHAKES. THE REASON IS,
WE CANNOT TAKE SUB CONCUSSIVE
TRAUMA OUT OF THE GAME. HELMETS
DO NOT STOP SOUTHERN CUSTOM
TRAUMA. YOU WATCH A CAR CRASH
VIDEO. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR
STOPS? THE BODIES KEEP GOING
FORWARD. SAME THING WITH THE
CHILD'S BRAIN, AND WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE VULNERABLE AND
CRITICAL ORGAN WITH HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF MILES OF MY ISLAND.
BILLIONS OF NEURONAL CONNECTIONS
IN A FRAGILE STATE THAT CANNOT
BE MESSED WITH WILD. IT'S
DEVELOPING. THAT'S WHY 14 IS A
GREAT AGE TO START. WHY FROM 11
TO 13, IT GOES TO A CRITICAL
DEVELOPMENT PATH. COULSON APTHE
GENESIS WHERE NEURONS BLAST ALL
OVER THE PLACE OF PREPARATION
FOR PUBERTY. NUMBER TWO. THE
PREFRONTAL CORTEX DOESN'T EVEN
START DEVELOPING UNTIL 14 IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY WHAT
WE'RE DOING ON THIS CALLER
IMPULSIVELY OR INTERACTIONS ARE
SOCIOLOGICAL. COMPULSIONS
EVERYTHING. YOU CANNOT FUNCTION
WITHOUT IT IF IT DOESN'T START
DEVELOPING UNTIL 14 AND WE
COMPLETELY POUNDED OR REPETITIVE
WE HIT IT WERE OUR CHILD IS
GOING TO BE COGNITIVELY AND
PSYCHOLOGICALLY DAMAGED. FINALLY
WE FUNDED A STUDY AT BOSTON
UNIVERSITY. WE LOOKED AT EVERY
BRAIN UNDER 3100% OF THOSE
BRAINS, WHETHER HE HAD CTE OR NO
CT, LIKE MY SON, 100% OF THEM
HAD STRUCTURAL DEFORMITIES OF
THE GRAIN, WHITE MATTER
ASSOCIATED WITH REPEATED HEAD
INJURIES. 100% ASSOCIATED. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. WE NEED TO WIND
UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH NEXT. NO
PROBLEM. NEXT WE'LL GO TO LINE
16, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YEAH
LISTEN, MY NAME IS MERYL HODGE.
I PLAYED 22 YEARS OF FOOTBALL
TOTAL. UM NEARLY A DECADE IN THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FOR THE
CHICAGO BEARS AND THE PITTSBURGH
STEELERS. MY CAREER ENDED
BECAUSE OF IMPROPER CARE OF HEAD
TRAUMA, COACHED EVERY LEVEL OF
FOOTBALL, BUT 8 18 IS MY PASSION
AND I SPENT 20 YEARS THERE. I
GAVE THE HEADS UP FOOTBALL
PRINCIPLES TO USA FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL BECAME THE NATIONAL
MODEL. I'VE ALSO HELPED THE
CALIFORNIA GROUP TO BUILD 81
PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY IS THE
BEST IN THE COUNTRY. WHEN I
HEARD THE BILL TO BAN TACKLE
FOOTBALL AT AGE 14 AND WHERE
THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU
KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ONE IS YOUTH
FOOTBALL TO A HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
AND THREE IS BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.
OUR BRAIN IS NOT FULLY DEVELOPED
AGE 25. AND THE MOST CRITICAL
PART OF OUR DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY
STARTS FROM AGE 14 TO 19, AND
THAT IS THE AMYGDALA AREA
RESPONSIBLE FOR THINGS LIKE
EMOTIONS. SOMETHING ELSE
MAGICALLY HAPPENS AROUND. 14
HAPPENED TO ASSAULT. YOU HIT
PUBERTY SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T
HAPPEN. TWEET 7 11. YOU GO FROM
105 TO 1 60. THAT IS WHEN
IMPACTS ACTUALLY ARE SEVERE,
MORE SEVERE. SO WHY WOULD IT BE
OKAY FOOTBALL AT AGE 14 SCIENCE
WERE TRUE. WHAT'S NOT THE MOST
NEED WRAP UP? YEAH WE NEED TO
WRAP UP THIS. THERE'S NO SCIENCE
TO SUPPORT BANNING FOOTBALL. THE
NEW RESEARCH LOOK AT ALL THE
RESEARCH DONE AND THE RISK OF
BRAIN HELPED FOOTBALL AND THERE
IS NOT ONE PAPER THAT SUPPORT
ANY NEED FOR PUBLIC POLICIES TO
MAKE INTERVIEWING QUÊ. THANK
YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
SIR. NEXT UH, SPEAKERS, REMEMBER
, WE HAVE ONE MINUTE. WE'RE
TRYING TO KEEP IT TO THAT.
PLEASE. THANK YOU. NEXT. NEXT WE
GO ON TO LINE 28, PLEASE GO
AHEAD. THANK YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO
WATCHES THE ASSEMBLY, MUCH AS A
FOOTBALL FAN WATCHING THE BALL
WHEN ONE OF THE WITNESSES MADE
LEE COMMENT OUT OF KEVIN
MCCARTHY GOT KNOCKED OUT, NOBODY
WOULD BE CHEERING. I HAVE TO
DISAGREE WITH THAT. BUT ALL
SERIOUSNESS INSIDE. UM I DO
APPRECIATE THIS TODAY. AND I
THINK ALL THE TESTIMONY SPEAKS
ON ITS OWN. BUT I DO ALSO WANT
TO THANK THE CHAIRMAN FOR
BRINGING UP THE FACT THAT
SWIMMING IS WHAT GOT HER FAR
ALONG TO THE POINT WHERE SHE'S
IN THE ASSEMBLY. NOW IF I COULD
GOT THAT CORRECTLY, AND I THINK
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT,
ALTHOUGH IT'S, UH MOVEMENT OF
THE ASSEMBLY TO ALLOW
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND SPORTS
OPPOSITE SEX SPORTS. THERE IS
DAMAGE THAT HAPPENS TO WOMEN.
WIND BIOLOGICAL MEN ARE ALLOWED
TO PUT TWO. OKAY WE'RE GOING TO
SPEAK TO THE COMMENTS. 10
SECONDS. 10 SECONDS, PLEASE.
THANK YOU KNOW WHAT I SAID IN
CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. NEXT. THAT NEXT? WE'RE
GOING TO LINE 32. PLEASE GO
AHEAD. HI I'M TIFFANY, JILL
ARRINGTON FROM LOS ANGELES,
CALIFORNIA AND THE FORMER
NATIONAL TV SPORTSCASTER
COVERING COLLEGE IN THE FALL
FOOTBALL AND THE DAUGHTER OF A
VICTIM OF CT. MY FATHER, RICK
ARRINGTON, DIED TWO YEARS AGO
WITH STAGE FOUR CT AFTER HAVING
PLAYED TACKLE FOOTBALL FOR 20
YEARS FROM AGE 6 TO 26 GOING ON
TO PLAY FIVE YEARS IN THE NFL AT
THE QUARTERBACK, HE HAD ZERO
DIAGNOSED CONCUSSIONS, YET
INVISIBLE BRAIN INJURY FROM
FOOTBALL IN HIS LIFE AT AGE 74.
AFTER CTS SEVERELY AFFECTED THE
QUALITY OF HIS ENTIRE ADULTHOOD.
THIS PROGRESSIVE DISEASE AFFECTS
NOT JUST THE VICTIM, STRUGGLING
WITH UNBEARABLE SLEEPLESSNESS
AND PUT CONTROL, MOOD AND MEMORY
. IT AFFECTS CAREERS AND
RELATIONSHIPS, RUBBING MY HERO
FROM HAVING THE FULL POSITIVE
IMPACT HE COULD HAVE HAD IN LIFE
WITH CTE RISK INCREASING 30%
EACH YEAR. YOU PLAY GET RID OF
NINE YEARS OF CONTACT RISK
THROUGH FLAG FOOTBALL, KEEPING
THE BENEFITS OF FOOTBALL WITHOUT
THE BRAIN DAMAGE. WHY ARE WE
RISKING GENERATIONS OF
DESTRUCTION TO YOUNG ATHLETES?
MORE DEVASTATION TO FAMILIES
WAITING ON MORE DEATHS? TO GET
MORE CTE RESEARCH. THANK YOU.
1000 BRAINS. THANK YOU, MA'AM,
REPETITIVE HITS TO THE HEAD.
LET'S ALTER THE SAFETY. THANK
YOU. NEXT. BECAUSE WE GO TO LINE
SIX. PLEASE GO AHEAD. I THINK
YOU MY NAME IS TOM DEVER AND I
AM IN SUPPORT OF AN AGE
RESTRICTION FOR TACKLE FOOTBALL.
MY SON, TAYLOR PLAYED FOOTBALL
WITH UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY AND IN
DECEMBER OF 2020, HE PLAYED FOR
NEVADA UNION HIGH SCHOOL AND
GRASP REALITY. HE CONTINUED HIS
CAREER WITH THE FULL SCHOLARSHIP
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
WAS A TEAM CAPTAIN HIS SENIOR
YEAR WHILE EARNING HIS
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN MARKETING,
AND IT'S MID TWENTIES, HE BEGAN
TO STRUGGLE WITH VARIOUS MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES. THE SAME SYMPTOMS
VERY COMMON. WITH THE TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURY CONTINUED AND
INTENSIFIED UNTIL THE DAY IN
EARLY DECEMBER. 2020 HE PASSED
AWAY FROM A ACCIDENTAL DRUG
INTERACTION. HIS DIAGNOSIS
PROVIDED EXPLANATION FOR HIS
RAPID DECLINE AND CHANGES IN HIS
BEHAVIOR. IT ALSO HAS CREATED A
PASSION FOR ME. TO HELP INCREASE
THE AWARENESS, MAKE CHANGES AND
HELP FIND A CURE FOR THIS
DISEASE. I SHARE THIS STORY
BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT ANYONE
APPARENT SIBLING, A SPOUSE OR
FRIEND. TO GO THROUGH WITH MY
FAMILY AND I HAVE WENT THROUGH.
I KNOW IT'S A CLICHE STATEMENT,
BUT IT'S TRUE. THERE'S ANOTHER
PUSH A QUESTION I GET FREQUENTLY
IF YOU WERE TO DO IT ALL OVER
AGAIN, WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING
DIFFERENT? EVERY DAY. I WISH I
HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU
. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR. NEXT.
THAT'S TO GO TO LINE EIGHT.
PLEASE GO AHEAD. HELLO. HELLO.
CAN YOU HEAR IT? YES. WE COULD.
WE COULD HEAR YOU. MIGHT NEED TO
CALL BACK. NEXT. ARE YOU THERE?
YES, YES. OKAY. I'M SORRY. SO
YES, MY NAME IS DARREN STALL AND
BEEN A YOUTH COACH FOR OVER 20
YEARS, BOTH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL
TACKLE FOOTBALL LEVEL, AT LEAST
WITH 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE. TO BE
IN ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OF ACTUAL
YOUTH FOOTBALL COACHING
EXPERIENCE AS WELL, UM I AM A
TESTING AS FAR AS YOU KNOW MY
EXPERIENCE WITH YOUTHFUL LONG AS
A TACKLE FOOTBALL COACH, BOTH
THE YOUTH AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM. HEAD INJURIES. DEFINITELY
YOU KNOW, IS A CONCERN. UM IN MY
EXPERIENCE AS A COACH IN MY 10
YEARS, I WOULD AVERAGE MAYBE ONE
PLAYER A YEAR THAT WOULD GO OUT
WITH A CONCUSSION. IN MY TIME OF
FLAG FOOTBALL COACH, I WOULD
AVERAGE AT LEAST TWO PLAYERS A
YEAR, GOING OUT WITH CONCUSSIONS
ON A 12 PLAYER ROSTER VERSUS A
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM ROSTER OF 35 TO
40 PLAYERS. UM IT IS A CONCERN
BUT TO ARBITRARILY LEGISLATE, UM
, AN ITEM. UM, THAT IS A PRINTED
CONSENT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING
THAT I FEEL SHOULD BE LEFT IN
THE HANDS OF THE PARENTS. AND I
THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS
HEARING AND I WOULD HOPE THAT
THIS LEGISLATION WOULD NOT MOVE
FORWARD AS IT HAS THE CAPABILITY
TO DISABLED PARENTS RIGHTS IN
THIS PARTICULAR STATE. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR.
NEXT NEXT WE GO TO LINE 33,
PLEASE GO AHEAD. YES MY NAME IS
QUINTUS CORRECTIVE OPERATIONS
FOR A YOUTH FOOTBALL PROGRAM
HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
SERVICE OVER 2000 CHILDREN,
FOOTBALL NUMBER 2000 CHILDREN
CHEERLEADING. I'M OPPOSED TO THE
BILL OF SETTING AN AGE WOMEN ON
YOUR SCOTTISH SPORTS BEING THAT
THE BENEFIT OUTWEIGHS THE
CURRENT LISTS THAT HAVE BEEN
SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN. A LOT OF
IT IS A LOT OF WHAT IS BEING
SAID, IS OPINIONATED. UM I KNOW
THAT BENEFITS OF YOUTH FOOTBALL
SPORTS AND TO PUT AN AGE LIMIT
ON IT. I DON'T AGREE WITH WE
HAVE ESTABLISHED THE 81, WHICH
ARE CONFERENCE FOLLOWS IN HAS
BEEN IMPLEMENTING THE
INFORMATION SINCE IT'S BEEN
PASSED. UM THERE'S VERY LITTLE
REGULATION WITH THAT BILL
ITSELF, WHICH IS INTENDED FOR
THE SAFETY OF OUR YOUTH PLAYERS.
UM SO WE HAVE ALREADY
ESTABLISHED THAT THERE IS A NEED
FOR, UH. SAFETY OF OUR ATHLETES
WITH BABY ONE. WE HAVE THAT IN
PLACE LIKE YOU SAID, ONE OF THE
STRANGEST STRICTEST IN THE
COUNTRY. UM, AND YET THANK YOU,
SIR. YEAH THANK THANK YOU, SIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
NEXT. GO TO LINE 19, PLEASE GO
AHEAD. I'M JOHN SADLER,
PRESIDENT OF SADLER SPORTS
INSURANCE, AND MY INSURANCE
AGENCY, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST
WRITERS OF YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL
TEAMS IN THE U. S AND IN
CALIFORNIA. WE ENSURE OVER
11,000 YOUTH TEAMS ANNUALLY
WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT A B ONE,
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S MORE
THAN SUFFICIENT TO MITIGATE THE
CONCUSSION RISK AND YOU TACKLE
FOOTBALL. DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT
HEAR IN THE MEDIA INSURANCE
COVERAGE FOR YOUTH TACKLE
FOOTBALL IS READILY AVAILABLE.
THE INSURANCE CARRIERS NO LONGER
PERCEIVED THE CONCUSSION RISK AS
AN EXCESS ESSENTIAL THREAT AS
THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED
ALL THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS
AND CONCUSSIONS ARE NOW ON THE
BACK BURNER AND SEX ABUSE HAS
MOVED TO THE FRONT BURNER. SADLY
WE TRACKED ALL CLAIMS FOR OUR
YOUTH FOOTBALL CLIENTS SINCE
2004 INCLUDING CONCUSSIONS, MY
CLIENTS HAVE NOT HAD ANY
SIGNIFICANT INJURIES OR LAWSUITS
ARISING FROM CONCUSSIONS. WE DO
HAVE MORE ACCIDENT CLAIMS FILED
FOR CONCUSSIONS STORING AROUND
2010, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE
THE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES HAVE
BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL AND PARENTS
ARE NOW SEEKING. MEDICAL
TREATMENT WHEN THEY DID NOT DO
SO IN THE PAST, AND WE'VE
DEVELOPED OUR OWN CONCUSSION
RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR OUR
INSURANCE, AND IT IS ACTUALLY A
GOOD BIT LESS STRINGENT THAN A B
ONE. BUT IT HAS WORKED WELL,
ONCE AGAIN. I THANK YOU, SIR.
ONE IS BEING MORE THAN
REASONABLE. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. NEXT. NEXT WE GO TO LINE
NINE. PLEASE GO AHEAD. HELLO. MY
NAME IS DR CRISTIAN. MY YOUTH
FOOTBALL HAD COACHED IN THE
MONTEREY COUNTY, WHICH IS
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. UM JUST IN
MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR AND 15
YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, I
MEAN, JUST ALLOW FOR SALO.
THINGS ARE CHANGING OVER TIME.
YOU GUYS IN THE MEDIA THE WORK
GRADUALLY EVERY YEAR, SOMETHING
THAT'S GOING ON IN TRAINING AND
WE ALSO IN FOOTBALL, FOLLOW USA
FOOTBALL PROTOCOLS AND ABIDE BY
81. I THINK IF YOU BENEFICIAL IF
WE JUST ADD MORE TRAINING
ANNUALLY, NOT JUST THE SAME WITH
CREDIT STUFF BUT MORE STUFF AND
COME TO A COMMON GROUND ON BOTH
SIDES. UM ON TOP OF A B ONE,
MAYBE COMPLAINTS OFFICER THAT
CAN CHECK IN AND MAKE SURE YOU
KNOW. UM TACKLING APPROVED
DRILLS, TACKLING, UH GENERAL
INFORMATION APPROVED THAT'S
UPDATED ANNUALLY. NOT JUST ONCE
, EVERY FIVE YEARS. UM AND AGAIN
, I HOPE YOU CAN COME TO A
COMMON GROUND TO CONTINUE YOU TO
POCKET. IT IS A BIG IMPACT IN MY
AREA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU NEXT.
NEXT WE GO TO LINE 14, PLEASE GO
AHEAD. THAT AFTERNOON. MY NAME
IS SAMANTHA PILE BONO AND BOTH
MY UNCLE AND FATHER PLAYED IN
THE NFL. THEY BOTH FROM THE END
OF THEIR LIVES, LIVING IN MEMORY
CARE FACILITIES AND ULTIMATELY
BUILT WITH STAGE FOUR CTE
DIAGNOSIS POSTMORTEM. THEY
PLAYED THEM. LITTLE WAS KNOWN
ABOUT PPE AND WHAT THE
CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE FOR THE
SALARIES OF HEAD IMPACT THEY
ENDURED. CLINTON TACKLE FOOTBALL
YEAR AFTER YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY
THOUGH, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE
BRAIN INJURIES COST OUR FAMILY.
IT COSTS US THEM. I KNOW THAT
THERE'S CTE WAS CAUSED BY ALL OF
THOSE YEARS OF HEAD IMPACTS AND
NOT COMPASSION. AND I KNOW AS A
MOTHER I WOULD NEVER LET MY
TASTE ON TACKLE FOOTBALL BEFORE
THE AGE OF 14. I BELIEVE IT IS
TIME TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN
WHOSE PARENTS DON'T KNOW BEFORE
THEY LEARN THE SHOES OF THE
FAMILY THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM ME
TODAY. EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW
THE DANGER OF EVERY SINGLE
IMPACT TO THE BRAIN AND TAKE
ACTION TO SAVE THE BRAINS OF OUR
CHILDREN, SUBTRACTING A FEW
YEARS WORTH OF VIOLENT HITS TO
THE HEAD OUT OF FAITH, MY UNCLE
AND FATHER AND DEVELOPING E,
HOWEVER, FOR THE VAST MAJORITY
OF YOUNG MEN WHOSE CAREERS AND
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE
WAITING TO PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL
JUST MAKE THEIR LIVES. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU,
MODERATOR. CAN WE GET A LIST OF
HOW MANY MORE SPEAKERS WE HAVE?
AND THE NEXT WE ONLY HAVE ONE
OTHER IN THE QUEUE. SO OUR LAST
QUESTION WILL BE NUMBER 38,
PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU.
HELLO HELLO. MY NAME IS DANA
MARQUEZ ON THE ASSOCIATE
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OF AUBURN
UNIVERSITY, ALSO THE FORMER
DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS
AT CAL BERKELEY AND THE FOUNDER
OF HELMET SITTING DOT COM, WHICH
IS AN EDUCATIONAL BASED WEBSITE
FOR PARENTS, COACHES. AT THE
YOUTH AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING
MANUFACTURER'S GUIDELINES ON HOW
TO PROPERLY FIT EQUIPMENT. I'VE
HEARD A LOT OF ISSUES ABOUT
CONCUSSIONS, CTE THANKS FOR
BEING PROACTIVE IN THE RESPONSE
OF LEARNING WHAT THESE
MANUFACTURERS HAVE DONE FOR THE
HISTORY OF FOOTBALL AND JUSTICE
, THE MANUFACTURING ENHANCEMENTS
OF THE HELMET. BUT NOT
UNDERSTANDING THE EDUCATION OF
WHAT IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY FIT.
MAINTAIN THAT HELMET WILL GO A
LONG WAY IN THE DISCUSSION OF
WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SPEAKING ABOUT
TODAY, SO HELMET FITTING .COM IS
ALSO THE ONLY COMPANY OUT THERE
THAT HANDLED ALL MANUFACTURERS.
UNLIKE USA FOOTBALL, WHICH IS
REALLY SOLELY JUST WITH RYDELL,
SO I WOULD THINK THE TIME
LEARNED HOW TO PROPERLY 50
EQUIPMENT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT
DOES AND THAT HAVE THAT THAT
THAT TYPE OF EDUCATIONAL NEED
WITH 81. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT IS OUR
LAST COMMENT FOR THIS HEARING,
AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE GONE
FOR ALMOST THREE HOURS.
OBVIOUSLY A VERY ROBUST TOPIC
WITH MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER, UH
, AS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE
, WE ARE COMMITTING TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT
ONLY RECEIVE THE FULL, UH, BOOK
OF INFORMATION BUT A CD OF THIS
HEARING AS WE WILL CONTINUE THIS
DISCUSSION WHEN WE HEAD BACK TO
SESSION IN JANUARY. UM WOULD YOU
LIKE TO MAKE ANY CLOSING
COMMENTS? COMMENTS I JUST WANTED
TO THANK THE PARTICIPANTS WHO
WERE HERE TODAY AND, UM YOU ALL
CARE ABOUT. CALIFORNIA OUR KIDS
OUR YOUTH, EVEN IF WE HAVE
SOMETIMES, UM, OPINIONS
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION, BUT
BUT I REALLY WANTED TO THANK
YOU. MOST IMPORTANTLY MADAM
CHERRY. YOU'RE SPOT ON THAT. YOU
KNOW TOO MANY TIMES WE HAVE
HEARINGS. YOU HAVE TWO WITNESSES
TWO MINUTES AND YOU DON'T REALLY
GET TO DIG INTO A TOPIC AND THIS
IS ONE THAT I'M NOT SURE IF
YOU'RE ABLE TO REALLY FOCUS ON
IN THE HEARING. WHEN YOU HAVE 10
OR 15 BILLS, AND YOU WERE JUST,
YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH
SO YOU PROMISED US THE
OPPORTUNITY, NOT ME PER SE, BUT
THE LEGISLATURE TO REALLY DIG
INTO THIS AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE
WITH THE VIDEO THAT WILL PRESENT
TO OUR MEMBERS, AND A FEW OF
THEM TOLD ME THEY'RE GOING TO
WATCH IT. THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT
TODAY AND WITH THE BACKGROUND
MATERIALS, I THINK YOU GIVE US A
LOT OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND
WEIGHING INTO THIS ISSUE, AND
YOU KNOW, IT'S A PUBLIC POLICY
ISSUE THAT HAS AN IMPACT FOR,
YOU KNOW, KIDS IN THE HEALTH AND
SAFETY OF CALIFORNIA. SO, UM,
TODAY WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO
DIG INTO THIS AND I WANTED TO
THANK YOU. ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
THANK YOU AND AGAIN, I'LL JUST
FINISH BY SAYING I CERTAINLY
LEARNED SOME INFORMATION FROM
BOTH SIDES THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AT
MY FINGERTIPS. AND I THINK THAT
IS ONE OF THE, UH, POINTS OF
THESE HEARINGS IS TO LEARN
SOMETHING INTO BEING BETTER
INFORMED DECISIONS. THERE'S
CERTAINLY AS A MOVE FORWARD NEED
TO BALANCE PARENTS, CHOICE AND
RIGHTS WITH INFORMATION. AND I
THINK THAT THIS IS HEARING
DEFINITELY GIVES ME MORE OF THAT
INFORMATION AS WE HAD IN TO
JANUARY AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, AS
WE HEAD INTO JANUARY, UH, NEW
SESSION, THERE WILL BE A NEW
LEADERSHIP IN DIFFERENT
COMMITTEES. I REALLY CAN'T, UH,
STATE EXACTLY HOW THAT WILL LOOK
AND WHO WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON
THIS COMMITTEE. BUT WHOEVER DOES
FOLLOW, WE WILL MAKE SURE THEY
HAVE THIS. INFORMATION THE
CONTEXT SO THAT AS WE MOVE
FORWARD, BUT AGAIN, FOR THOSE OF
YOU WHO HAVE STAYED WITH US THE
ENTIRE CLOSE TO THREE HOURS. WE
APPRECIATE THAT. WE ALSO KNOW
SOME OF YOU TRAVELED AND WE
APPRECIATE THAT. AND THOSE OF
YOU WHO ARE LISTENING OR CALLED
IN, WE TAKE YOUR TESTIMONY
SERIOUSLY AGAIN. THANK YOU. AND
THANK YOU TO ALL OR YOU WILL
CONCLUDE.