by Dr. David McKalip

Modern Mom - Health & Fitness

March 10, 2010

It's not "just" a concussion - it's a brain injury. It's also the most common type of brain injury sustained in sports with 1.6-3.8 million Americans experiencing a concussion from a sports and recreation-related incident. Multiple concussions can have cumulative and long lasting life changes, which makes March's Brain Injury Awareness Month vital

"Even if you don't hit your head, you could have sustained a concussion. It happens if you've been indirectly hit somewhere on the body - the force can be transmitted to the head, causing a concussion," said neurosurgeon, David M. McKalip, M.D. Concussions do not appear in neuroimaging studies like a MRI or CAT scan and most do not involve loss of consciousness. "There are 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) each year in the U.S. and 75 percent of those are typically concussions so it's important to know the risks, prevention measures and treatments when they occur," said Dr. McKalip.

The leading causes to youth concussions (ages 5-18 years) are bicycling, football, basketball, playground activities and soccer. Not diagnosing or managing a concussion could result in serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death. "In most cases, signs and symptoms may be noticeable right away. In other cases, it could take days or weeks before any sign is present so if someone experiences a blow to the head or body, it's best to see a healthcare provider sooner rather than later just in case," says Dr. McKalip.

U.S. emergency departments treat nearly 135,000 sports and recreation-related TBIs - including concussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities on a daily basis as a result of a TBI. "A brain injury can cause a variety of functional changes in thinking, emotions, behavior, language, sensation or learning," says Dr. McKalip. "It can also cause epilepsy or increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or other brain disorders that become more common as one ages."

by Tom Moroney

Bloomberg Business Week

March 10, 2010

Five years of hell ended in a hard death. Those are the widow's words.

Her husband, Lou Creekmur, suffered 13 broken noses and 16 concussions as a Hall-of-Fame lineman for the National Football League's Detroit Lions, and in retirement saw 14 doctors who couldn't explain his anger and forgetfulness. Toward the end he would chase his wife in rages, apologizing later. He died at 82 on July 5, 2009, on a bed three inches too short, in a hospice eight miles from home. Then Chris Nowinski called.

His voice was soft like her husband's when his mind was right, the widow recalled. Nowinski, with his own concussion history in football and wrestling, introduced himself as a co- founder of the Boston University School of Medicine Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. He wanted a donation: Lou Creekmur's brain.

"My husband died a hard death, and I did not know what was wrong," Caroline Creekmur, 67, said in an interview from her home in Plantation, Florida, 30 miles north of Miami. After consulting with the family, she consented to Nowinski's request.

"I wanted to know why this happened."

So did Nowinski. The 31-year-old Harvard University graduate -- who as "Chris Harvard" taunted World Wrestling Entertainment fans with his Ivy-League smarts -- is on a quest: to prove that brain damage is widespread in men, women and children who engage in sports involving repeated collisions, and to persuade professional leagues, colleges and high schools to change their rules to save lives.

PR Newswire

March 10, 2010 

NEW ORLEANS, LA--Throwing arm injuries are on the rise in Little League and other youth baseball programs. After these injuries occur, many players are out for the season; others require surgery and must refrain from play for an even longer duration; still others sustain injuries so severe that they cause permanent damage and are unable to continue playing baseball.

Three new studies presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) address this critical issue, each offering new solutions to help prevent these injuries.

Five-minute stretch after play can help young players avoid throwing-arm pain.

Pitchers and catchers under the age of 15 often experience tightness of a shoulder ligament known as the posterior-inferior glenohumeral ligament. If this ligament is not stretched, it will become increasingly tighter and more prone to pain or injury as the player ages, if that player continues to play baseball.

A study of 1,267 youth baseball players, led by Charles Metzger, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in upper extremities in Houston, Texas, found that a simple stretch known as the posterior capsular stretch can help.

Concussion Facts from the Sport Concussion Institute:

SYRACUSE, NY - November 10, 2009

The Syracuse Department of Parks and Recreation became the latest sports organization to use the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's coaching education program, Youth Sports NY for its youth basketball coaches.

When asked about why he wanted Youth Sports NY to train Syracuse's coaches, Commissioner Pat Driscoll said, "The [Youth Sports NY] training program actually puts into perspective that coaches need to remember that they are coaching kids.  These kids are at an age where they are most impressionable and coaches need to be better mentors outside of sports." 

Commissioner Driscoll also noted that the Youth Sports NY training program helps to re-define winning while teaching coaches to infuse the lessons children learn from unsupervised play into their organized practices and games. This helps all participants to have a fond memory of playing youth sports. 
After attending the recent training, Driscoll stated that he felt that the Youth Sports NY training program was extremely useful for his basketball coaches. Driscoll is planning to have a training for his District 8 Little League coaches who use City facilities in the spring. 

If you or your organization would like to have your coaches trained like the Syracuse Department of Parks and Recreation, then please contact the SUNY Youth Sports Institute by phone at 877-828-8811 or by email at info@youthsportsny.org.  For information on a training in your area, please contact the Continuing Education Department of your nearest SUNY Community College

by Julie Percha

ABC News

March 05, 2010

Michelle Obama today took her anti-obesity campaign to the soccer field, making an appearance at a free youth soccer clinic in Washington, D.C.

As part of her "Let's Move!" initiative launched last month - which promotes healthy eating and increased physical activity among the nation's youth - she visited with about 60 young players as they took part in a U.S. Soccer Foundation clinic led by members of the Major League Soccer team D.C. United.

She spoke briefly to the young athletes, highlighting the importance of combining proper nutrition - both at school and at home - with regular exercise.

"You know, you've got to move," she told the players. "You've got to exercise ... and soccer is one of my favorite ways of doing it." 

by Scott McLaughlin

New England Sports Network

February 26, 2010

The family of the late Mosi Tatupu and USA Football have teamed up to create the Mosi Tatupu Memorial Fund in honor of the former Patriots running back and special teamer who died Tuesday.

The fund will aid USA Football's continuing efforts to strengthen American Samoa's youth football program, which played its first season in 2009. Donations will be used for everything from buying new equipment to educating the league's volunteer coaches.

by Indianapolis Colts Staff

colts.com

March 2, 2010

Colts and USA Football partner to further strengthen Indiana youth football

INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts showed their continued support for youth football by hosting USA Football's Indiana State Leadership Forum at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on Feb. 20. USA Football is the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels and is the Colts' official youth football development partner.

Thirty-six youth football leaders consisting of commissioners, presidents and board members from across the state gathered at the Colts' practice facility to learn more about USA Football's resources and how the Colts and USA Football can strengthen their organizations. Leading the forum was Scott LeVeque, USA Football's Great Lakes Regional Manager.

"Any time you can get together and learn how others run their organizations, it is really beneficial to your own league," said Donna Miller, executive director of the Kokomo (Ind.) Police Athletic Activities League, who attended her third Indiana forum. "In the end, it is all about the kids and USA Football does a great job of allowing everybody to gain insight on what is happening around the leagues so the kids can have a great experience.

by Tom Davis

Fort Wayne News-Sentinel

March 1, 2010

Without a doubt, many people throughout Fort Wayne were in front of their TVs Sunday afternoon, enthralled by the incredible excitement that was unfolding at the Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Fort Wayne residents can certainly appreciate a scrappy group of American youngsters shocking the world by nearly knocking off the most talented hockey team on earth.

The fact that the U.S. men's hockey squad eventually lost 3-2 in overtime in the gold-medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics does not diminish what this group accomplished over the past two weeks.

People in Fort Wayne understand the magnitude of what America just witnessed - because they understand hockey, and they understand how the sport is quickly evolving throughout the country.

Fort Wayne has few peers in this state when it comes to lacing on a pair and having at it on the ice. The people here appreciate - even embrace - the mental, physical and even financial demands that hockey requires of its athletes, families and coaches. However, the cities of Fishers, Zionsville, Carmel, South Bend and those in "the Region" also are developing youth hockey programs that rival Fort Wayne's.

That interest at the grass-roots level is exactly why the U.S. team was able to take Canada to the extreme Sunday.

Sayre Morning Times

March 1, 2010

WAVLERLY, PA -- The crisp sounds of clanking pins and shuttling balls are certainly nothing new to the Valley Bowling Center's weekend atmosphere.

But these familiar noises took on a new significance Saturday, when an estimated 50 bowlers braved the stormy weather to attend Bowl for Kids' Sake, the signature annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bradford County.

"We're really proud of the effort and the turnout that we got today," said David Brann, a board member for the organization. "With the weather and everything, this is about as good as we could hope for. This is a big fundraiser for us."

According to event chairman Neil Donahue, Bowl for Kids' Sake is a fundraiser that Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters across the nation hold every year, raising much-needed donations for the country's most prominent youth development program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is known for pairing area youth with older mentors, but the Bradford County chapter also facilitates a "Big Buddies" program that pairs high school with elementary students, as well as a monthly program for so-called "Little Buddies" who are still on the waiting list to receive a mentor.

Saturday's event raised money that will help support all three of these programs over the coming months.

by Kathleen Burge

Boston Globe

February 25, 2010

At the John A. Ryan Skating Arena in Watertown last Friday night, the air was loud with the sounds of coaches shouting, skates shaving ice, and pucks thunking against the boards.

The few dozen skaters, nearly unrecognizable in cage helmets and bulky padding, are the smallest of hockey players. Some learned to walk only a few years ago.

"You got it!'' yelled Bill Kelly, one of the coaches, as a player lobbed the puck in the general direction of the net. "Nice job. Next!''

In some hockey programs, these young skaters would already be playing on the full length of ice, 200 feet long, the same as TD Garden, home to the NHL's Boston Bruins. The littlest players might have dozens of games each season - stretching through much of the year - and spend hours traveling to their opponents' rinks. In warmer months, their parents might spend hundreds of dollars for hockey camps.

But the youngest players at Watertown are on the front lines of a new philosophy of how best to teach hockey: Ease up a bit.

by Jim Mann

Daily Inter Lake

February 25, 2010

KALISPELL, MT -- Mitch Gilman, a skiing wunderkind from Whitefish recently named as one of the top 20 youth skiers in the world, took first place in the 12- to 15-year-old division of an extreme skiing event in Crested Butte, Colo.

The U.S. Extreme Skiing Championships at Crested Butte last represented the first "big mountain" competition this year for Gilman, who is 13 years old and weighs just 100 pounds.

The event puts skiers on a selected mountain face, leaving them free to pick a line of descent that is scored by judges for difficulty, control, fluidity, technique and aggression.

"There's always a number of ways to get down, but in order to get a good score you need to take the harder lines," explained his father, Jeff, who lives in Whitefish.

Gilman did two runs, one on a slope called Little Hourglass that required a 15- to 20-foot cliff drop. That run put him in first place in the 12- to 15-year-old division. The only skier to post a higher score out of 60 competitors was a 17-year-old.

"He took a very aggressive line in both of his runs," Jeff Gilman said.

Gilman lives with his uncle in Colorado, where he attends the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, and trains and competes with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.

by Craig S. Semon

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

February 26, 2010

SOUTHBRIDGE,MA --  Parents of players in the Tri-Community YMCA youth basketball league for Grades 5 and up will not be allowed in the gymnasium for the final games tomorrow. The reason is the flagrant fouls of a few unruly parents. 

An e-mail sent out to the parents cites "unsportsmanlike behavior from some parents" during the last couple of weeks. 

The e-mail says a few people have become "belligerent" in the stands, even after being spoken to, and have been "setting a bad example for children." 

"All must know that this is inappropriate behavior that will not be tolerated." 

YMCA Director Edward Keefe and YMCA Recreation Director Susan Casine agree it was a very tough decision to make. 

"There was a lot of discussion. We didn't make the decision lightly," Mr. Keefe said. "This is the last game. This is the last week. We want the kids to have fun, have a positive experience and close out the season on a positive high. 

"We don't want to affect the parents who go to every game and behave themselves and cheer on their kids," Ms. Casine said. "But we need to make sure that unsportsmanlike behavior from parents doesn't get out of hand." 

Ms. Casine said a few unruly parents have been yelling at the referees and at one another during the games. The children know the disruptions were happening and the referees were dealing with it the best they could, she said. However, she said, the culprits are not yelling profanities or threats and police have not been called in. 

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

February 26, 2010

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) SportsUnited office has partnered with Major League Baseball (MLB) to bring a group of young baseball players from Ecuador to Arizona to experience the shared love of baseball between the United States and Ecuador. 

The delegation of twelve boys and girls, ages 13-15, and two coaches will attend MLB's Cactus League in Phoenix, February 26 - March 7, 2010. The visitors will get an inside look at Spring Training including in-depth tours of various stadiums and their training facilities. MLB will host the group at Spring Training games between the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners; and, the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. 

The group's itinerary will also include baseball practice and clinics with Little League in Chandler, a disability program with Special Olympics, and baseball and softball skills training at local high schools and colleges.

by Anthony Lawson

North Jersey

February 5, 2010

They slashed across the ice of Skylands Ice World as if they were in a hurry to prove something. They were members of a new group called EveryBODY Skates New Jersey (ESNJ), and they were on a mission. A three day tour of all 54 of New Jersey's Ice Rinks was organized by brothers Andrew and Jon Schwartz. They had only 54 hours to visit all 54 rinks and their teams were selected for their special ability to get the job done. So during a national promotion called "Hockey Weekend Across America", the ESNJ decided it was the perfect time for their own 54 in 54 awareness campaign.

Andrew Schwartz, speaking at Stockholm's Skyland Ice World said, "We are making this effort to raise awareness and influence local ice rinks to allocate just one hour of ice time per week, in season, to disabled hockey."

Each of his team members have a disability and love the sport of Hockey.

"My brother and I have been involved in organized Hockey since we were kids", Schwartz said. "We grew up in the sport, from players to coaching. We were at a point in our lives where we were looking for a way to give back, and Hockey seemed like a natural way for us to do it."

Last summer they organized EveryBODY Skates New Jersey for the sole purpose of giving disabled residents of New Jersey a Hockey outlet.