Bill, who demands the guardian borders for youth football

Charleston, W.Va. – Senates Bill No. 585 is after testing to West Virginia Senate.

The Senate Justice Committee passed the bill on Wednesday entitled “Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act”.

Craddock, a 13-year-old football player of the middle school in Boone County, died last August in August after suffering a head injury in connection with the head height during training.

The legislation would have to carry all youth football players in West Virginia a soft shell cover like Guardian Caps on their helmets for organized practice. The legislation would also set up a subsidy program in Craddock's honor, to cover the costs for the helmet covers, and would create a student athlete Safety Advisory Council to examine ways to improve security for all sports.

Ryan Craddock, the father of Cohen, spoke in front of the members of the committee on Wednesday. Shortly after the death of his son, he remembered a time when he examined what could be done to prevent events like Cohens from taking place again. He said he had no knowledge of Guardian Caps until the fact.

“I didn't know that the Guardian Caps were even one thing,” said Craddock. “I opened my phone and quietly and see, there are things for these children out there, but they didn't have our children.”

Guardian Caps were a topic of discussion before the death of Craddock when the NFL commissioned its players to morn the protective shells during the practice in 2022, with the exception of quarterbacks, kickers and borders. The NFL authorized the players to wear guards in games when they decided before the start of the 2024 season.

Craddock says he cannot understand why youth football players with undeveloped brains could not benefit from similar mandates.

“You can imagine my frustration when I found out that the NFL and Colleges prescribed them (Guardian Caps),” said Craddock. “We take care of adult men, professional athletes and college people instead of taking care of our children in the development stages of their brain growth.”

Senator Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, who has a background in physiotherapy and brain concealing management, replied to Craddock with a low concern about the limited resources that are available in athletics within the state for head injuries and treatment.

“My concern comes when we get to empowered certain devices, a certain latest, greatest medicine -with anything in terms of treatment, the limited amount of resources we have,” said Tarr. “This is my main concern here because I want the children to be safe.”

“IT (the law template) requires the use of IT (Guardian Caps) for football athletics in our schools in West Virginia and the associated costs, which can prevent some of the things that may be more evidence-based, the injury or death of our athletes.”

Tarr also says that some medical sources say that Guardian Caps do not offer the protection that some have pointed out.

“There are things out there that show that there are still no evidence from the upper limit that have a difference compared to the concussion of the brain than if they do not have the upper limit. There are pretty good medical magazines that show this, ”said Tarr.

Dr. Javier Cardenas is director of the Cucussion & Brain Injury Center at the WVU Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute. It also serves as deputy chairman of the head, neck and spine committee of the NFL.

Cardenas reports that Guardian Caps was signed in NFL practices three years ago three years ago, the league reduces the conceals of the brain by 50%. He reported that the number was a surprise and warned the colleagues to be ready that this number represents an anomaly, but when the seasons continued and the league continued for additional positions, they saw what he called “continued reduction”.

According to Cardenas, the main purpose of the NFL mandate was to protect the players from continuous effects on the head, while concussion is the result or not.

“The original intention was not only to reduce the conceals of the brain, but also to reduce the repeating effects on the head, which is a problem for all of our young people at all levels,” said Cardenas. “If we can reduce the exposure to these head effects that comprises this invoice, this is a positive thing in my view.”

Another potential problem addressed during the committee seat was the fact that some schools in West Virginia have athletes who use old and outdated helmets during training and games with low financial resources, with some helmets used for a decade or older.

Rod Zides is suitable in his career over 500,000 helmets and fits year after year for the football team of West Virginia University. He says that there have to be strict limit values ​​for aged helmets with youth football players in the state.

“There should be no 10-year-old football helmets on the field,” said Zides. “We won't operate a football helmet that is so old. We have a limit of seven years for the junior high and below as well as six years for the high school and above. “

David Price, the executive director of the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission (WVSSAC), also spoke in front of the committee members on Wednesday. He says that the SSAC is everything to help where they can.

“We are for everything that contributes to reducing the risk,” said Price.

Before the committee agreed on the bill, Craddock gave a final message.

“We all want to protect our children, each of ourselves. I wish I could do more for my, ”said Craddock. “This invoice is directed for this.”