Stanley A. Herring, MD, a clinical professor in the department of rehabilitation medicine, orthopaedics and sports medicine, and neurological surgery at the University of Washington, has been inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame (WIAA) in a ceremony on May 7. Dr. Herring, who holds the Zackery Lystedt Sports Concussion Endowed Chair, has made a significant impact on the health and safety of student-athletes and youth sports.
Dr. Herring has had a long-standing relationship with the WIAA since the 2000s, when he invited the WIAA to join the effort to pass the Zackary Lystedt Law regarding youth sports concussions.
On May 14th, 2009, Governor Christine Gregoire signed the Zackery Lystedt Law. The law protects student-athletes by requiring the immediate removal of any participant suspected of sustaining a concussion and prohibiting return to play without clearance from a qualified medical professional. Dr. Herring was a principal in this legislative effort to protect young athletes from the potentially devastating effects of sports-related concussions and head injuries.
As well as working with the WIAA on the Zackery Lystedt Law, Dr. Herring has served on the WIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for many years, providing advice on a broad range of health and safety issues that relate to youth athletes.
Throughout his career, Dr. Herring has been instrumental in researching, publishing, and presenting at clinics and conventions, bringing clarity, urgency, and compassion to various public health challenges. His body of work in shaping concussion laws is now in place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Although Dr. Herring was a physician for the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Mariners for many years, he has always shown a penchant for worth with student-athletes. He has tirelessly advocated, researched, and committed his work to not just treating concussions but also valuing and protecting young athletes.
The WIAA Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions and have had superb accomplishments in high school sports and activities. Stanley Herring, in his long career of advocating for safer and healthier youth athletes, certainly qualifies. Congratulations, Dr. Herring!