Amid rising worries about the long‑term effects of head injuries in youth sports, a Colorado committee began reviewing legislation that would tighten concussion protocols and expand mental health awareness among coaches.

Senate Bill 060 would require youth sports coaches to complete training on the mental health impacts of concussions. It would also require them to inform parents when an athlete sustains a concussion and advise them to have their child evaluated for potential physical, cognitive, or psychological effects.

The bill known as “Alyssa’s Act,” which has drawn support from Democrats and Republicans alike, is named for Alyssa Peterson, a 13-year-old from Arvada who committed suicide in 2019. Signing on as sponsors of the bipartisan bill are Sens. Rod Pelton, R‑Cheyenne Wells, and Lindsey Daugherty, D‑Arvada, along with Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D‑Centennial, and Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, R‑Trinidad.

Peterson’s mother, Stella, said Alyssa was a natural athlete who liked skiing and played soccer competitively. While her family knew Alyssa had sustained several concussions throughout her athletic career, they were not aware of the potential mental health impacts.

“After her death, our family began searching for answers,” Stella Peterson told the committee. “As I reviewed her medical history and reflected on her childhood, I began to wonder whether repeated concussions from years of youth sports had affected her brain and her mental health in ways we did not understand at the time.”

The family said it has since learned that concussions can affect mood, emotional regulation, and overall mental health — a message Stella Peterson, her daughter Emily, and her husband have been working to share widely in hopes of preventing tragedies like Alyssa’s.

“No law can bring Alyssa back, but this bill has the power to help other families recognize the signs earlier, start important conversations, and support youth athletes before it’s too late,” Stella Peterson said.

As a former Denver Broncos running back, Montee Ball said he suffered five concussions that he’s aware of, though he believes the actual number is much higher. He recalled developing constant headaches and unexplained personality changes.

“I became distant from the people who loved me most, my relationships suffered, and I struggled with emotional connection and intimacy,” he said. “I felt confused inside my own mind.”

Ball began drinking heavily, and his alcoholism eventually ended his football career and pushed him to seek intensive mental health treatment, he said. He believes his downward spiral was at least partly driven by concussions and the repeated head impacts he endured throughout his playing years, he added.

“Looking back, the hardest part is knowing my family watched me slowly change and had no roadmap for how to help,” he said. “That is why this bill matters.”

He added: “When coaches understand the mental health impact of brain injuries, they become the first people that can recognize that something deeper may be happening to a young athlete, and when we give coaches that knowledge, we’re not just protecting players, we’re protecting families from the fear and confusion my family lived through, but most importantly, that Alyssa’s family is living through.”

On an 11-2 vote, the concussion bill easily passed through the House Health and Human Services Committee. Reps. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough Park, and Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, voted against it.