NFL HEALTH AND SAFETY UPDATE -- JANUARY 15, 2014
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE TAKES UP YOUTH CONCUSSION BILL
The Mississippi legislature is considering legislation to address concussion in youth athletes. Last Thursday, the House passed HB 48 by a vote of 116-1. This bill would establish measures for dealing with young athletes suspected of suffering a concussion. Mississippi is the only state without a youth concussion law. The NFL has helped to advocate for the passage of these laws in many states.
For more information, click here.
USA FOOTBALL ISSUES STATEMENT ON "FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES" PROGRAM
Scott Hallenbeck, the Executive Director of USA Football, issued a statement yesterday on a new series called "Friday Night Tykes."
Hallenbeck's statement is as follows:
Youth coaches by nature are role models, and the language and scenes in Esquire Network's "Friday Night Tykes" are in sharp contrast to USA Football's core beliefs and what is taking place on the majority of youth football fields across the country. Football and youth sports in general provide meaningful learning opportunities, and it is vitally important that the right individuals have the training necessary to teach our children these lessons. Understanding there is more work to be done, we are encouraged that the youth football community is embracing coaching standards such as those in our Heads Up Football program. Together with support of experts in medicine, child advocacy and multiple levels of the sport, we work with youth leagues to adopt these standards that bring significant change in how coaches are prepared, players are taught, parents are informed and safety is addressed.
For more, click here.
CLEVELAND CLINIC NAMED AS MEDICAL SCREENING PARTNER FOR THE NFL PLAYER CARE FOUNDATION
The Cleveland Clinic was named the medical screening partner for the NFL Player Care Foundation's Healthy Body and Mind Program yesterday, providing free comprehensive cardiovascular and prostate evaluations to former NFL players.
In an effort to improve the overall health and quality of life of former NFL players, the screening program also provides mental health resources and education through the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse University, led by former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher.
The new partnership will begin January 30th during Super Bowl week. Free screenings, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, will be available to all former NFL players. More than 500 former players are expected to be screened for heart disease and urologic issues, including prostate health, at various events, including NFL Players Association and NFL Alumni meetings and during Pro Football Hall of Fame week.
"Identifying and modifying risk factors are the keys for both cardiovascular disease and urologic health," said Dr. Richard Lang, Chairman of Preventive Medicine and Vice Chairman of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. "These screenings will give players the valuable information they need to make informed decisions about their health and take an active role in optimizing their own healthcare."
For the full story from The Plain Dealer, click here.
For more information, visit www.nflplayercare.com.
THE EFFECTS OF YOUTH FOOTBALL: A CLINICAL STUDY ON NON-CONCUSSED PLAYERS
A small study published in the Journal of Child Neurology found "significant improvements in some measures of postural stability, oculomotor performance and reaction time" among youth football players after playing for a full season.
The pilot study measured junior high school-age athletes on the King-Devick Test, Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (IMPACT), and an Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc. (AMTI) force platform test before contact practices began for their 12-week season. In the week following the last game, the researchers tested again, to determine if symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury could be detected in non-concussed players.
The scientists hypothesized that there would be no significant preseason to postseason differences in the players, but instead they found several -- in a positive direction. "The primary finding of this study is that there were no observed impairments in selected clinical measures of neurologic function," the article said. "There were, in fact, significant improvements in some measures of neurocognitive function." The study concluded that more investigation is warranted.
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FORMER PLAYER BENEFITS
Here are some statistics on programs that provide benefits to former NFL players:
- Retired players have received $67,227,278 through the Bert/Rozelle retirement plan in the past 12 months.
- In the same time period, former players' widows and surviving children have received more than $10,314,083.
- 284 applications have been approved under the 88 Plan since its inception in 2007.
- Since 2007, more than $29 million has been distributed through the 88 Plan.
- Since its creation in 2007, the NFL Player Care Foundation has issued $5,507,304 in grants to 545 former players to cover medical and housing expenses.
-- NFL Communications
