New TIPS Program Focuses on Preventing Youth Sports Injuries

(NewsUSA) - It's recognized as a "silent epidemic" among our nation's youth.

We're talking sports-related injuries. Every day nearly 8,000 young athletes sustain an injury bad enough to send them to an emergency room, and -- if that's not chilling enough -- just look at these numbers from the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

* In the past year alone, 48 youths died due to sports injuries.

* About 30,000 high school athletes are hospitalized every year.

* Concussions account for 90 percent of high schoolers' 300,000 annual head injuries.

That explains why a new program called "Athletic TIPS" (Towards Injury Prevention in Sports) has garnered the support of everyone from health care professionals to athletic directors to sports stars like football legend Michael Strahan. The retired New York Giants defensive end, in fact, narrates the introductory video on behalf of the not-for-profit group behind the initiative.

The program's goal? To foster "a safer experience" for athletes at the kindergarten through college levels by focusing on the recognition, prevention and management of sports-related injuries -- all done through community workshops, online learning, and other grassroots initiatives.

"Athletic TIPS answers a critical need for educating school-age athletes, their parents, and advisors about sports-related injuries," says Ed Goren, the former vice-chairman of Fox Sports Media Group, who's backing the initiative. "Hopefully, parents will feel more confident encouraging their sons and daughters to reap sports' substantial benefits and life lessons."

The workshops target four key areas: concussion recognition and prevention; nutrition in sports management; preventing dehydration and heat-related conditions; and recognizing, managing, and preventing musculoskeletal injuries.

To learn more or schedule an Athletic TIPS Community Workshop in your area, visit www.TIPS4Sports.org.