Today is my first day back after taking a much needed break for the holidays to be with family and friends, but before diving into what promises to be a watershed fifteenth year in the life of MomsTeam, I decided to look back on what we were able to accomplish in 2014 and list some of the significant youth sports safety stories that grabbed the nation's attention last year.
Needless to say, it was quite a year!
1. Concussion 24/7, 365
Lawsuits
Illinois
NCAAA
NFL
Limits on full contact practices
Impact sensors
Continued fallout from NOCSAE's August 2014 ruling re third-party helmet add-ons: Loudon County etc.
Football helmets
new NOCSAE helmet standard rotational and linear
continued controversy over Virginia Tech STAR ratings
study showing older helmets not as good as newer helmets in proteciting against concussions,
Another showing no difference between helmet brands etc. in reducing concussion risk
Increased emphasis on proper helmet fit
Cognitive Rest
http://www.momsteam.com/cognitive-rest/full-cognitive-activity-after-con...
http://www.momsteam.com/strict-rest-after-concussion-does-not-improve-recovery-new-study-finds
Heading in Soccer
Culture of Resistance/Chronic Under-Reporting
Institute of Medicine report
more studies showing chronic under-reporting
Child Abuse in Sports
Friday Night Tykes Physical, emotional and psychological child abuse in the sports setting came to the forefront and little was done about it. However, the nation took note.
http://www.momsteam.com/blog/brooke-de-lench/friday-night-tykes-episode-...
Continuing scandals involving elite USA Swimming coaches sexually abusing young female swimmers
Synthetic Turf Fields
numerous media reports began to surface posing serious questions about the safety of artificial turf fields and the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR or ‘crumb rubber) made from reclaimed tires which are used as infill material. While the jury is still out and after reviewing the 3 inch thick "SBR Studies" manual that came out in October packed with independent testing and on the potential health and environment impact, I have yet to read one study that would make me join the ranks of folks ready to pull up their fields. We need to weigh the options of using tons of harmful pesticides, chemicals and irrigation to maintain grass fields with using artificial fields. One thing is for sure, we will be watching this debate very carefully and hope that an alternative to SBR is found.
Debate Over Helmets In Women's Lacrosse
http://www.momsteam.com/helmets/concussions-in-girls-lacrosse-should-helmets-be-mandatory
http://www.momsteam.com/sports/womens-lacrosse-headgear-standard-prepares-second-ballot
http://www.momsteam.com/blog/brooke-de-lench/proposed-astm-standard-womens-lacrosse-headgear-why-voted-approve
Here are the highlights of MomsTEAM Institute year:
1. MomsTEAM Institute website goes live.
2. Brooke de Lench, Founder/Publisher of MomsTeam.com gifts the website to to MomsTEAM Institute.
3. 33 Thirty-three leading sports injury researchers and youth sports safety advocates accept invitations to join MTI's Board of Advisors.
4. Seven members of MTI's Board of Advisors agree to become coordinators for six pilot programs to test the Institute's innovative SmartTeamsTM program in ethnically and geographically diverse youth football programs (Columbia, South Carolina with the University of South Carolina; Hixson, Tennessee with the University Of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Lansing, Michigan with Michigan State University; Mesa, Arizona with AT Still University; Skiatook, Oklahoma with the University of Tulsa; Grand Prairie, Texas with the University of Texas at Arlington). Stay tuned, more information on our findings will be posted in 2015.
5. The Institute hosts two working dinners and a lunch with the pilot coordinators and many members of Board of Advisors in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
6. The Smart Teams Play Safe website is launched announcing the Institute's September 15, 2014 youth sports safety summit at Harvard Medical School.
7. MTI begins working with seven SmartTeams pilot program coordinators via periodic regular Skype meetings and emails.
8. SmartTeam pilot program coordinators obtain IRB approval to collect pre- and post-season survey data from parents, athletes, coaches, and league administrators designed to test effectiveness of educational intervention via periodic newsletters containing information on youth sports safety best practices that we are developing to become national standards.
http://www.momsteam.com/blog/brooke-de-lench/more-than-international-tre...
9. As Executive Director, I attend eight national conferences, including speaking at a concussion awareness summit at the United Nations during Super Bowl Week, a two-day conference hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the NATA, and a one-day symposium hosted at the University of Maryland Francis King School of Law.
10. The Institute hosts its first annual dinner at the Harvard Club of Boston attended by 35 of the 41 members of the Boards of Directors and Advisors.
11. The SmartTeams: Play Smart to Be Safe-Protecting the Health and Safety of the Whole Child In Sports Summit is held at Harvard Medical School, attended by 120+ health care professionals, equipment manufacturers, students, and other youth sports safety stakeholders.
12. Each 15-20 minute presentation at the SmartTeam Play Safe summit is turned into a full-length video and posted on the MomsTEAM family of sites.
13. MomsTEAM Institute and Brooke de Lench receive favorable and frequent mention in print, television and radio media and on social media. MTI's Twitter feed grows to 26,300 followers.
14. Nine newsletters containing 18 articles on best youth sports health and safety practices written by Lindsey Barton Straus, reviewed and approved for accuracy by SmartTeams pilot coordinators, are sent to over 1,000 parents, coaches, and administrators of the youth football programs participating in the SmartTeams pilot project.
15. MomsTeam.com website grows to over 7,000 articles and more than 10,000 pages of continually updated, well-researched and sourced content on youth sports health and safety issues.
16. MomsTEAM Institute selected as a pioneer
No wonder I needed a two-week holiday!
What's in store for 2015?
Stay tuned. We are determined to launch the SmartTeams national program that will set standards and best practices in every sport.
Today is my first day back after taking a much needed break for the holidays, but before diving into what promises to be a watershed year in the life of MomsTeam, I decided to look back on what we were able to accomplish in 2014.
It was quite a year!
Here are the highilights:
- MomsTEAM Institute website goes live.
- 33 leading sports injury researchers and youth sports safety advocates accept invitations to join MTI's Board of Advisors.
- Seven members of MTI's Board of Advisors agree to become coordinators for six pilot programs to test the Institute's innovative SmartTeamsTM program in ethnically and geographically diverse youth football programs (Columbia, South Carolina with the University of South Carolina; Hixson, Tennessee with the University Of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Lansing, Michigan with Michigan State University; Mesa, Arizona with AT Still University; Skiatook, Oklahoma with the University of Tulsa; Grand Prairie, Texas with the University of Texas at Arlington)
- The Institute hosts two working dinners and a lunch with the pilot coordinators and many members of Board of Advisors in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- The Smart Teams Play Safe website is launched announcing the Institute's September 15, 2014 youth sports safety summit at Harvard Medical School.
- MTI begins working with seven SmartTeams pilot program coordinators via periodic Skype meetings and emails.
- SmartTeam pilot program coordinators obtain IRB approval to collect pre- and post-season survey data from parents, athletes, coaches, and league administrators designed to test effectiveness of educational intervention via periodic newsletters containing information on youth sports safety best practices.
- As Executive Director, I attend eight national conferences, including speaking at a concussion awareness summit at the United Nations during Super Bowl Week, a two-day conference hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the NATA, and a one-day symposium hosted at the University of Maryland Francis King School of Law.
- The Institute hosts its first annual dinner at the Harvard Club of Boston attended by 35 of the 41 members of the Boards of Directors and Advisors.
- The SmartTeams: Play Smart to Be Safe-Protecting the Health and Safety of the Whole Child In Sports Summit is held at Harvard Medical School, attended by 120+ health care professionals, equipment manufacturers, students, and other youth sports safety stakeholders.
- Each 15-20 minute presentation at the SmartTeam Play Safe summit is turned into a full-length video and posted on the MomsTEAM family of sites.
- MomsTEAM Institute and Brooke de Lench receive favorable and frequent mention in print, television and radio media and on social media. MTI's Twitter feed grows to 26,300 followers.
- Nine newsletters containing 18 articles on best youth sports health and safety practices written by Lindsey Barton Straus, reviewed and approved for accuracy by SmartTeams pilot coordinators, are sent to parents, coaches, and administrators of the youth football programs participating in the SmartTeams pilot project.
- MomsTeam.com website grows to over 7,000 articles and more than 10,000 pages of continually updated, well-researched and sourced content on youth sports health and safety issues.
