Temple Univ. and the Univ. of Pennsylvania "have been chosen to participate in what has been billed as the largest study of concussion and head trauma ever conducted," according to Sam Wood of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. The $30M research project, "paid for by the NCAA and the Department of Defense, also involves 28 additional schools and health-care institutions." The project "was launched" in '14. The study "eventually will track about 25,000 student athletes." Univ. of Michigan NeuroSport Research Laboratory Dir Steven Broglio said that prior concussion research "has focused only on male-dominated sports, football in particular." Broglio: "We're looking at men and women student athletes in every sport." He added that Temple and Penn "were picked because each had research experience and rigorous clinical protocols" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/10).
UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES: In N.Y. Ken Belson reports Pop Warner "has settled a lawsuit with a family whose son played in the league and later committed suicide and was found to have a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head." The case "could have broad implications for youth sports if it prompts other families to accuse leagues and organizations of not doing enough to protect their children." The amount of the settlement "was not disclosed." Millions of children "play in sports leagues that often have less experienced coaches and far less experienced coaches and far less medical supervision than collegiate and professional leagues." Legal experts said that they were "surprised that Pop Warner settled" because it would have been difficult to prove that Joseph Chernach's cognitive problems "were directly the result of his playing youth football" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/10). USA TODAY'S Erik Brady notes the settlement "raises questions about the future of youth football." Attorney Marc Lamber, who is not involved in the case, said, "This could potentially open the floodgates. You can see the direction this is headed" (USA TODAY, 3/10).
