FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Contact: Natalie Iwamoto iwamoto@hhsaa.org

HONOLULU –A landmark achievement was attained last week for Hawaii youth and high school athletes as Governor David Ige signed into law senate bill 2557 appropriating legislative funding to continue the development and implementation of the concussion monitoring and testing program.  While many states enacted legislation targeting youth-sport related concussions, Hawaii is the first state to designate legislative financial support for the initiative.

The law enacted in 2012 required the Hawaii Department of Education and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association to develop a concussion education program for all HHSAA public and private member school students, ages 14-18, with funding through the Department of Health Neurotrauma Support over the last six years.

The new Act 262 expands the scope of the program to include community youth athletic organizations.

“This legislation puts our state at the forefront of protecting our student-athletes from sport-related head trauma,” said HHSAA Executive Director Chris Chun, who initiated the HHSAA’s sports medicine advisory committee to tackle health and safety related concerns in high school athletics. “We’d like to acknowledge Senator Jill Tokuda and Representatives Della Au Belatti and Scott Nishimoto for recognizing the importance of concussion baseline testing. This could not be possible without their support.”

The education component would make available annual concussion awareness education for participants in school athletic activities, including the parents of the participants. The Hawaii Concussion Awareness and Management Program, otherwise known as HCAMP, provides at least two concussion clinics a year, or community sport leagues may contact them directly to coordinate education sessions.

University of Hawaii at Manoa professor and chairperson of kinesiology and rehabilitation science, Nathan Murata, spearheaded the efforts in establishing a group of interested parties from various community sport organizations and individuals with extensive legal and medical backgrounds to assist in drafting the bill.

“We wanted this bill to be inclusive and have statewide representation,” said Murata. “HCAMP is grateful to the many parties who spent countless hours assisting with the writing and re-writing of the concussion bill in its present form. This allows for continued concussion monitoring, education and awareness for all student athletes who participate in community and organized extracurricular activities statewide.”

The next HCAMP concussion clinic is slated for Thursday, July 21, 6:30 p.m. at the McKinley High School auditorium. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required to receive certificate of attendance.  For information call (808) 956-3807.

About the HHSAA

Founded in 1956, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational athletic organization exclusively dedicated to serving 96 public and independent member high schools statewide, as they work cooperatively to support and promote athletics as part of the high school education program. As the umbrella organization of high school athletics, the HHSAA operates 44 state championships in 18 different sports, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, in addition to providing professional development opportunities for coaches and athletic administrators.

For more information on the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, go to www.sportshigh.com.

 

About the HCAMP

Hawaii Concussion Awareness and Management Program (HCAMP) is an organization aimed to provide Hawaii’s physically active community and medical community with evidence based research education, support and resources to manage concussions administered through the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science. For more information on HCAMP, go to www.hawaiiconcussion.com.