Concussions in sports

Concussions have become an important discussion topic since it was revealed several years ago that this injury posed a great risk of permanent brain damage if not treated properly. After the initial report and congressional hearings the NFL finally went about implementing a policy that ends players from playing through concussions in games. I applaud the league for having a policy that intends to mitigate any damage from concussions. The end result is that major players have been forced to miss games due to the new policy. I think that we, the viewers and fans, will finally realize the shear amount of concussions that are pervasive in football. There are only so many rules changes that can be used to reduce concussions.
The bigger fear I have is the multitude of young youth who are playing football in pee wee leagues and high school teams. These athletes are undergoing development of their brains and as such brain injuries are capable of more traumatic brain damage. In a New York Times article the quality of medical attention at most high school football games lack certified medical trainers. I understand that this would be an expensive cost for many cash strapped districts and nearly impossible for many rural districts to comply with. In the meantime states should follow the lead of Washington state and pass laws that protect students in high school sports, and mostly football players, from injuring themselves even more when they have a concussion. I think that the end result will be that high schools will be forced to shutdown football teams due to the inherent risk of concussions which may lead to significant brain injuries.