Brooke de Lench

Since our launch in August 2000, MomsTEAM has been educating parents, coaches, athletic trainers and players on the dangers of heat illness, how to prevent exertional heat stroke - particularly among football players who are most at risk during pre-season practice - and how heat stroke should be treated if and when it occurs.  

Last week's announcement that a foundation named in honor of the late Chicago Bear Dave Duerson had donated a King-Devick test kit to each of Chicago Public School's 80 high school football programs for use in assessing athletes for suspected concussion on the sports sideline, and that the foundation will work with CPS and the K-D Test manufacturer to implement system-wide testing, was welcome news.

So too was that the Dave Duerson Family Foundation, thru individual and corporate sponsors, plans to roll out its program in other cities in the U.S.

It seems that not a day goes by without news about a new product that supposedly reduces the risk of concussion.

Almost invariably, it turns out that the manufacturer's claims are not supported by peer-reviewed scientific evidence.  But that doesn't seem to stop most of them, until, at least, their claims attract the attention of the Federal Trade Commission.

There will be times in our lives that we have an opportunity to listen to a motivational speaker whose story is so powerful that it leaves an indelible impression to last a lifetime.

Recently, I had that opportunity when I heard John “JK” Parker speak to a high school football team in Oklahoma with which MomsTEAM is working to develop a concussion management program.