An increasing number of Illinois high school football players who have suffered concussions on the field are not playing this year – at the advice of their doctors. We applaud the brave decision of these young athletes and their parents, who have opted to forgo the sport they love – and one that could pave the way for a college scholarship – to allow their injuries to heal.

Their decision comes in the wake of a new Illinois law requiring that any high school athlete who shows signs of a concussion be cleared by a medical professional before returning to the field. A recent Chicago Tribune story noted that many schools had already adopted policies requiring athletes to pass a series of tests evaluating their brain functions before and after injury.

Illinois was the 28th state to pass a concussion law, backed by standards that are endorsed by brain injury advocacy groups and pediatricians. Some star athletes, including former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson, suffered untimely deaths as a result of brain trauma from the sport. Brain injuries can cause symptoms such as headaches, irritability, forgetfulness, and, as in the case of Duerson, an early death.

Today, schools regularly test young athletes who have suffered a concussion. It’s become the norm, even in states with no laws mandating testing. Statistics by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that the number of emergency room visits for sports-related concussions between 1997 and 2007 doubled in the age 8-13 group, and not just football, but soccer and even cheerleading.

It’s not that there are more concussions, but that there’s a heightened awareness by parents, teachers and coaches are the reason, experts say. Instead of a coach holding up two fingers to gauge whether there’s a serious injury, there’s now a battery of tests for injured athletes. Schools now tout their state-of-the-art helmets and other equipment designed to protect players.

In the end, so much depends on the coaches, experts believe. The “no pain, no gain” mantra, while still the norm for some coaches, is slowly becoming an expression of the past.