Safe Kids USA will launch a new educational effort aimed at helping parents, coaches and athletes reduce the more than 3.5 million injuries that occur in youth sports every year in the United States.
This effort will focus on the most common causes of preventable injuries including overuse, dehydration, heat-related illness, concussion and injuries caused by pre-existing medical conditions and lack of conditioning. Safe Kids USA will supply its coalitions with information to help parents, coaches and athletes in their communities reduce injuries. The initiative is being supported by Johnson & Johnson, the founding sponsor of Safe Kids Worldwide and Safe Kids USA.
“Injuries in youth sports are occurring at an alarming rate,” said Mitch Stoller, President and Chief Executive Officer of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Risks are often recognized too late or injuries are looked upon as just part of the game. We're here to say it's not always part of the game and there are things that each one of us can do, particularly parents, to help shape the physical and emotional environment for safe and fun participation in sports.”
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 38 million children and adolescents participate in organized sports in the U.S. and about 1-in-10 receives medical treatment for a sports injury. Experts say as many as half the injuries sustained by youth while playing sports are likely preventable.
“Encouraging children to play sports is one of the best ways to help them stay fit, develop athletic skills, make friends and learn valuable lessons that they can carry for a lifetime,” said John Hurley, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who treats young athletes and is working with Safe Kids USA. “But young athletes have special needs because their bodies are still growing making them more prone to injury. And, if there is too much pressure to compete, they may overexert themselves, play in pain or return to activity too quickly after an injury, all of which could have both short- and long-term consequences.”
As part of its educational campaign, Safe Kids USA and Johnson & Johnson have partnered with cable network, Nickelodeon and internet service and media company, AOL to develop and run public service announcements (PSAs) on the prevention of youth sports injury. Nickelodeon will continue airing the PSAs through October on TeenNick, Nick at Nite and other Nickelodeon programming; and AOL will produce web PSAs for online distribution. In addition, Safe Kids USA coalitions have conducted youth sports safety clinics throughout the country for parents, coaches, athletes and community members.
The subject will also be explored in an interactive webcast entitled, “Youth Sports Injury What Every Parent Needs to Know,” on October 27 at 7 p.m. EDT. Pre-registration is required. Speakers include leading experts from the fields of sports medicine, athletic training, pediatrics and child safety.
“We are issuing a call to action to parents everywhere to learn more about how they can play an even greater role in preventing youth sports injuries,” said Jamie A. Freishtat, MD, one of the speakers for the webinar and a board-certified pediatrician, safety advocate and blogger for Safe Kids USA. “It's more than making sure your kids get to and from games and keeping their schedule. It's about knowing early warning signs, partnering with their coach and making sure you and your kids have the right attitude and realistic expectations about sports.”
