Texas considers reducing number of spring practices

October 6, 2015 / FootballSports Medicine
Texas’ athletic association will consider reducing the number of spring practices next year in its continuing effort to protect student-athletes from injuries.

UILThe University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council and its Medical Advisory Committee met last weekend to discuss player safety, according to Fox 7 in Austin. The latest proposal would reduce the number of spring practices from 18 to 15, allowing programs to schedule them over a 30-day period.

From Fox 7:

The executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association believes that will be an advantage, keeping athletes safer through less contact.

“The awareness of the hazards of concussions has grown quite a bit, especially in the coaching community just through education. I think our coaches are very aware and very sensitive to that,” DW Rutledge said, executive director of Texas High School Coaches Association.

Recent research regarding concussions have prompted reevaluations of treatment and management recommendations from the high school to the professional level.

“As we’ve seen the way it’s come full circle over the last maybe five to ten years, with how the NFL has become very stringent with their concussion policy, that trickles down to NCAA and now obviously UIL. We need to realize that it needs to be a trickle up effect because it is the young student athlete and the young student athlete brain that is probably at the highest risk,” says Dr. Puig II.

The proposal must be approved by the UIL Legislative Council and Commissioner of Education, according to the article.


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