Press Release

WHY: There is a youth sports safety crisis in America–recent studies point to a prolific increase in catastrophic injuries despite our collective best efforts to prevent and treat them. Brain injury, devastating heat illness and sudden cardiac arrest are just a few of the serious conditions suffered by children on the playing field today. There were at least 115 sport-related deaths in 2008-2009 in 33 states, including eight in California alone. Catastrophic injuries are considered those resulting in death or permanent disability. Too often no one present is properly trained to evaluate and manage an injury or condition. The results not only impact the quality of life of the young athlete but are costly in terms of time lost from school and medical visits.

WHO/WHAT: NATA is poised to put a face on this issue and target widespread audiences with a call to action for legislative change to improve medical care and a summit meeting/media event that will include an alliance of 30 leading health care and sports organizations also committed to this cause. The Alliance to Address the Youth Sports Safety Crisis in America event will raise awareness of health and safety issues among student athletes, parents, coaches, athletic trainers, medical professionals and school staff.

Speakers and participating organizations include:

Moderator: Michael West, MS, ATC, athletic trainer and assistant principal, Patriot High School, Riverside, Calif. West is also current president of the California Athletic Trainers’ Association and has spearheaded legislation calling for a defined scope of practice for athletic trainers in the state.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Need for Automated External Defibrillators: Cindy Chang, MD, former head team physician for the University of California’s 27 athletic teams from 1995-2008; assistant clinical professor at UC Davis and UC San Francisco; sports medicine specialist, consultant and team physician, intercollegiate athletes, UC Berkeley, representing the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

Diane Claerbout, board member, ParentHeart Watch, the national voice dedicated to protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. Claerbout lost her son Johannes (Jos) in 1999 due to sudden cardiac arrest from sports.

Exertional Heat Illness:Rebecca Demorest, MD, associate medical director of pediatric and young adult sports medicine at Children’s Hospital Oakland, representing the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Brendon McDermott, PhD, ATC, assistant professor,graduate athletic training program, department of health and human performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Concussions/Brain Injuries: Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, athletic trainer and the Kenan distinguished professor and chairman, department of exercise and sports science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;and director, UNC sport-related traumatic brain injury research center.

Guest Speaker: Leigh Steinberg, one of the country’s leading sports attorneys and the inspiration for the film, “Jerry Maguire.” Steinberg has represented over 150 professional athletes in football, baseball, basketball, boxing and Olympic sports. An accomplished speaker, he is passionate about the topic of concussion management and ensuring that athletes of all levels get the best possible care.

Case History: Beth Mallon, mother of Tommy who broke his neck while playing high school lacrosse, who has become an advocate on the youth sports safety front and founded Advocates for Injured Athletes to provide a support network and navigate health care for injured athletes and families. Tommy Mallon, high school lacrosse player who was playing in his final game at Santa Fe Christian in San Diego just seven months ago. He collided with a player while heading downhill after a ground ball. He was spineboarded and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and told he fractured his neck and would never play sports again.

KEY FACTS:

• Approximately 8,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each day for sports-related injuries.

• 400,000 brain injuries (concussions) occurred in high school athletics during the 2008-2009 school year.

• 50% of second impact syndrome occurs from sport-related activities – brain injury caused from a premature return to activity after suffering initial concussion may result in death.

• Among children, those aged 15-17 experience the highest emergency room visits for sports injuries

WHEN: Jan. 12, 2010

9:00-11:30 a.m.

WHERE: California State Capitol, Legislative Office Building 1020 N Street

Room 100

Sacramento, Calif.

RSVP: Jean Walcher/Jacqueline Edelman, JWalcher Communications 619-295-7140, jean@jwalcher.com/jacqueline@jwalcher.com