Sports Safety

Buyer Beware (Part 1): Claims That Equipment Can Prevent Concussions Too Good To Be True

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. Youth football game at line of scrimmage

It seems that not a day goes by without news about a 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, at least until their claims attract the attention of the FTC.

Praise For MomsTEAM Is Nice, But The Fight To Make Youth Sports Safer Isn't Over

As readers of this space well know, MomsTEAM and I have long advocated that the best way to help keep our kids playing interscholastic sports is for schools to hire certified athletic trainers (ATs). 

Years before sport concussions took over as the predominant youth sports safety issue of the 21st centry, we were highlighting the critical and unique role that ATs play in recognizing, evaluating and managing concussions.

Knowing that MomsTEAM's long advocacy for more certified athletic trainers in the nation's schools, and a powerful video explaining just why ATs are so critical to youth sports safety, are making a difference is not only gratifying, but with only 42% of high schools in the country having access to ATs, MomsTEAM's work is far from done.

National Youth Sports Safety Month: We've Come A Long Way

When the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation was formed in 1989, its mission was to provide information on the prevention of youth sports injuries. The non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation was founded in Massachusetts by Rita Glassman after her young daughter Michelle suffered a severe back injury that ended her tennis career. Rita was the first to designate April as National Youth Sports Safety Month, which MomsTeam has been celebrating every year since 2001.

In recognition of the efforts so many make to making youth sports safer, MomsTeam invited experts in the sports medicine field to contribute to a month-long special blog project called simply, April Is National Youth Sports Safety Month, which we are running again for a new generation of sports parents.

Emotional Abuse: Youth Hockey's Dirty Little Secret

The story of the Foglietta family tells a cautionary tale highlighting the problem of emotional abuse.  At center ice are 9-year-old identical twins who became the unintended but innocent victims of a real life power play in the adult-centered world of youth hockey.

Prayers for Jack Jablonski

Everything I do today will be overshadowed by concern for a young raising star hockey player, Jack Jablonski, and the struggle he is going through days after suffering partial paralysis from a severed spinal cord when he slammed head first into the boards when he was illegally checked from behind by two opposing players during a holiday tournament in Minnesota.

Everything I do today will be overshadowed by concern for a young raising star hockey player, Jack Jablonski, and the struggle he is going through days after suffering partial paralysis from a severed spinal cord when he slammed head first into the boards when he was illegally checked from behind by two opposing players during a holiday tournament in Minnesota.

Top Youth Sports Story of 2011: New Concussion Safety Laws

Every day at MomsTeam the staff talks about the best and worst youth sports stories of the day. Each year we vow to post a Top Ten list, as do our friends at the Positive Coaching Alliance, with their "Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments," or, select the top youth athlete, as the folks do at Sports Illustrated for Kids.

But we realized that selecting ten stories or one kid to highlightt when there are over 50 million kids playing sports in fifty states just isn't possible. The simple fact is that there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of "responsible moments" and millions of great young athletes whose spirit, desire to excel, and sportsmanship deserve to be recognized.

The top youth sports story of 2011 had to be the passage by twenty states of strong concussion safety laws, says longtime concussion safety advocate, Brooke de Lench.

Youth Sports Safety Summit: Attending in Dual Role As Advocate, Member of Media

 

The Capital, Washington, D. C.

MomsTeam's continuing mission from the day I launched the site in August 2000 has been to improve the safety of our young athletes and prevent catastrophic injury and death. 

Today, I am excited to be in Washington, D.C. for a one-day Youth Sports Safety Summit hosted by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). 

Today, I am excited to be in Washington, D.C. for a one-day Youth Sports Safety Summit hosted by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).  I am attending in a unique and dual capacity, both as a member of the  Youth Sports Safety Alliance and as a member of the media. 

Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal: What Happens When Media Spotlight Fades?

The alleged sexual abuse of boys by a longtime coach at Penn State* has focused media attention once again on the issue.  For the parents of the alleged victims, of course, their worst nightmares have come true. But what could have been done to prevent it? And is the culture of male sports itself at least partially to blame?

The sad fact, as noted in an article by Michael Hartill, a lecturer in the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, England who has studied sexual abuse of boys in sports extensively, is that "the largely unregulated world of children's sport has typically been slow to address the issue of sexual abuse of youth athletes." 

The alleged sexual abuse of boys by a longtime coach at Penn State has focused media attention once again on the issue.  For the parents of the alleged victims, of course, one their worst nightmares has come true. But what could have been done to prevent it? And is the culture of male sports itself at least partially to blame?
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