Nonprofit Seeks to Bring Attention to Preventing Sports Injuries

It’s considered a “silent epidemic” and it’s threatening our nation’s youth.

We’re talking about sports-related injuries. Every day nearly 8,000 young athletes sustain injuries bad enough to send them to an emergency room, and, if that’s not upsetting enough, take a look at these statistics from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• In the past year alone, 48 youths died due to sports injuries.
• About 30,000 high school athletes are hospitalized every year.
• Concussions account for 90 percent of high schoolers’ 300,000 annual head injuries.

That explains why a new program called “Athletic TIPS” (Towards Injury Prevention in Sports) has garnered the support of everyone from healthcare providers to athletic directors to sports stars, like football legend Michael Strahan. The retired New York Giants defensive end, in fact, narrates the introductory video on behalf of the not-for-profit group behind the cause.

The program’s goal is to foster “a safer experience” for athletes at the kindergarten through college levels by focusing on the recognition, prevention and management of sports-related injuries — all done through community workshops, online learning and other grassroots initiatives.

“Athletic TIPS answers a critical need for educating school-age athletes, their parents, and advisors about sports-related injuries,” says Ed Goren, the former vice chairman of Fox Sports Media Group who’s backing the cause. “Hopefully, parents will feel more confident encouraging their sons and daughters to reap sports’ substantial benefits and life lessons.”

The workshops target four key areas: concussion recognition and prevention; nutrition in sports management; preventing dehydration and heat-related conditions; and preventing and caring for musculoskeletal injuries.

To learn more or schedule an Athletic TIPS Community Workshop in your area, visit www.TIPS4Sports.org.