National Youth Sports League Crusades to Prevent Rising Number of Concussions
Tampa, FL (PRWEB) October 18, 2013 -- Almost half a million children visit the emergency room each year with a traumatic brain injury, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Football leads all sports in the occurrence of concussions among children.* That’s why i9 Sports, the nation’s first and fastest growing youth sports league franchise, is now calling for a big timeout from some accepted youth sports moves. The league offers families the i9 Sports Experience, a safer alternative where kids can learn sports without some of the dangerous play that can lead to concussions.
Despite increasing awareness of concussion dangers, a troubling survey reveals dads are comfortable sending their sons head first into possible danger on the football field.** Seventy-seven percent of all football-playing dads say tackle football is safe for children under age 12, even though more than three in five of these dads suffered a football related concussion during their days of play.
i9 Sports Experience
- i9 Sports Leagues play flag football – NO TACKLE. Parents across the country, even those that played tackle football themselves, choose flag football because it offers the benefits of learning the sport without the dangers of full contact tackle football. 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.
- In soccer – i9 Sports has a Strict No-Heading Policy. Players ages 3 – 12 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 an 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 coaches’ and officials’ guides.
“Children are not physically developed enough to absorb contact without serious risk of concussion, and the possibility of brain damage is very real," says Dr. Robert Cantu, a renowned neurosurgeon, expert on youth sports safety and acclaimed author of the book Concussion and our Kids.”Youth sports have taken the wrong turn in that it’s all become so serious. People are grooming their children to be superstars, often without regard for their safety.”
“Our leagues offer the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the sports without some of the dangerous risks that could lead to head injuries,” 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. As we see our programs grow faster than we even anticipated, we know families across the nation are on board for a safer youth sports alternative.”
*American Academy of Pediatrics
** 2012 online survey of 300 dads who played tackle football at the high school level or higher, commissioned by i9 Sports
FAST FACTS ON CONCUSSIONS:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics reports emergency room visits for concussions sustained in organized team sports doubled among kids ages 8-13 between 1997 and 2007. *
- 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 ages 5 – 18, 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®
Based in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, i9 Sports® is the first and fastest-growing youth sports league franchise company in the United States. With more than half a million members from New York to Hawaii, i9 Sports offers leagues, camps, and clinics for boys and girls ages 3-14 in today’s most popular team sports such as flag football, soccer, basketball and baseball. A privately held company, i9 Sports was founded in 2003 by CEO Frank Fiume on the principle that the number one reason kids play organized sports is to have fun, not to become a draft pick. Reinventing the industry, customers enjoy the i9 Sports Experience which emphasizes fun, safety and convenience as well as teaching the value of good sportsmanship. Named #1 Children’s Fitness Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine, i9 Sports has been ranked in their prestigious Franchise 500® issue the past six years. i9 Sports has also been listed among INC Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for the past three years and received Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 in Franchise Satisfaction Award for four years in a row. For more information on i9 Sports, visit http://www.i9Sports.com. To learn more about the low investment, low overhead i9 Sports franchise model, visit http://www.i9Sportsfranchise.com.
Matt DeMargel, i9 Sports, http://www.i9sports.com, +1 (919) 459-8164, [email protected]
Share this article