August 15, 2011
Media Contacts:
Suzy Yannello
suzy@i9sports.com
919.459.8162 Graham Chapman
gchapman@919marketing.com
919.459.8157
Local Group Leads Movement to Prevent Rising Number of Youth Concussions
Local Families Join “Stop Youth Concussions Crusade” (August 2011) This August, as thousands of pint-sized players head out for soccer and football practice, a new local movement called “Stop Youth Concussions Crusade” is sweeping the sidelines of our city and the nation. The rising number of youth concussions from sports is frightening. From 1997 to 2007, emergency department visits for concussions occurring in organized team sports doubled (from 3,946 to 7,791) in children ages 8 – 13 and more than tripled (from 7,276 to 23,239) among youth ages 14 – 19. * latest stats available. i9 Sports, the nation’s first and fastest growing youth sports franchise with 275 locations in 26 states and one in your area, has launched the local “Stop Youth Concussions Crusade”. “Kids are just not physically developed enough to absorb contact without serious risk of concussion, and the possibility of nerve or brain damage is very real” says Brad Culpepper, former NFL defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears. He coached i9 Sports flag football and his sons still play with i9 Sports. Even though Culpepper played for nine years in the NFL, he doesn’t believe in younger children playing tackle football and supports the i9 Sports program. New Local i9 Sports “Stop Concussions Crusade” Talk to local families, coaches and former NFL players who support this local initiative- i9 Sports Leagues play flag football – NO TACKLE. Former and current NFL coaches and players have/had their children playing i9 Sports because they don’t want their kids playing tackle football at a young age. (Brad Culpepper, Jon Gruden and Jack Del Rio)
- In soccer – i9 Sports has a Strict No-Heading Policy. Players 3 – 12 years old don’t have the developmental skills to head the ball properly on the forehead and instead may incorrectly head the ball on the top of the head or on the temple, causing greater risk for concussion.
- “When in Doubt, Sit Out” Policy An athlete in i9 Sports who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury will be removed from the practice or game immediately and will not be allowed to return to play without written clearance from a licensed health care provider.
- i9 Sports is the first youth sports organization to institute a Parental Pledge for safety and good sportsmanship. Plus, after each game, one child earns a sportsmanship award for sportsmanship and fair play with teammates and opponents.
- i9 Sports has just added a Concussions Safety Information page to the online registration process that parents must read and sign. i9 Sports has also provided concussion information, signs and symptoms in all coach and officials guides.
“With youth concussions on the rise, we had to take a stand for safety,” says Brian Sanders, President and COO of i9 Sports. “It takes more than a team, a coach or a league to make safety changes. It takes a movement.”
FAST FACTS ON CONCUSSIONS:
- Football leads all sports in the occurrence of concussions among children and youth ages 5-18. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, emergency room visits for concussions sustained in organized team sports doubled among kids ages 8-13 between 1997 and 2007.*
- Approximately 3.5 million American children 6-14 play tackle football, even though it is, as described in a 2009 article in Pediatric Radiology, “the most hazardous organized sport in the U.S.”**
- New Sports Concussion Assessment Tool – study just released last week at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine – calls for all teen athletes to be tested for concussions as a baseline analysis BEFORE the sports season so they’re accurately diagnosed if they suffer a concussion during the season. http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/356122
- From 2001 to 2005, more than 502,000 emergency visits were due to concussions in children between the ages of 8 and 19 years. Approximately half of these visits were a result of concussions related to organized sports.** latest stats available
- An estimated 1.6 – 3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur in the U.S. each year.***
- Of the 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries sustained by children and adults in the U.S. each year, at least 75% are mild and/or concussions.***
- Among children and youth ages 5 – 18 years, the five leading sports or recreational activities, which account for concussions, include football, bicycling, basketball, playground activities and soccer.***
Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Pediatric Radiology
Safe Kids Coalition
Brain Injury Association of America
About i9 Sports
i9 Sports®, based in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, is the first and fastest growing franchise of youth sports leagues, camps, and programs in the United States . An i9 Sports league is in your area and growing strong. With more than 400,000 members and 275 locations in 26 states, i9 Sports offers the most popular team sports for boys and girls ages 3-14 with a focus on fun, safety, and good sportsmanship.
Because each league is individually owned and operated by carefully screened and certified local franchise owners, participants enjoy the many benefits of a well-organized national sports organization with a personal touch in the local community.
Entrepreneur Magazine ranked i9 Sports #256 in the prestigious Franchise 500® issue and the 15th Top New Franchise in America; while the Franchise Business Review named i9 Sports the #1 Sports, Recreation, & Fitness franchise.
CEO Frank Fiume founded i9 Sports from his passion for youth sports and a desire to create a fun alternative to other youth sports leagues.
