How Can We Make Youth Sports Safer?
Welcome back!?
This week, we were disheartened to read a number of headlines about unsafe situations at youth sports games.
Instead of dwelling on them, we’re focusing on actionable steps we can take to make these environments safer, as well as the science we should know about as a community.??
So we’ll get into some of the recent studies, advice, and news in youth sports safety and injury prevention that you should know about this week—along with other topics like golf in communities of color, Girls and Women in Sports Day, sportsmanship, and more.
Youth Sports News
1. Youth Sports Safety: In light of some recent upsetting events regarding youth sports safety , we wanted to emphasize the importance of doing everything you can to keep youth sports a safe environment —including running coach background checks, injury prevention, and more.
2. Universities across the country are hosting events to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day—including Northern Illinois University (Feb. 7), who will be hosting a Women’s Excellence Panel Discussion that is open to the public , and James Madison Athletics (Jan. 27), who will be hosting an event to encourage local girls to engage in physical activity, foster teamwork, and a healthy lifestyle . The event at JMU is open to all girls in kindergarten through eighth grade.??
3. A new Boston University study found that about 2 in every 5 athletes younger than 30 at the time of their death had a disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)—a neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive brain trauma. Most had played contact sports like football, ice hockey, rugby, and wrestling. It’s important to note that due to the study’s limited scope, the research falls short of suggesting more than 2 in every 5 athletes in youth sports actually develop CTE.?
Julie Stamm, a clinical assistant professor in the university’s Department of Kinesiology, says considering delaying when athletes start playing contact sports is one way to reduce the risk of CTE.?
4. Despite the research above and the findings of another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2017) that found 21 percent of high school football players to have CTE, California Governor Gavin Newsom has promised to veto a California bill that bans youth tackle football .
“I am deeply concerned about the health and safety of our young athletes, but an outright ban is not the answer,” Newsom said in a statement. “My administration will work with the Legislature and the bill’s author to strengthen safety in youth football—while ensuring parents have the freedom to decide which sports are most appropriate for their children.”??
Perhaps the LIGHT helmet —the first helmet to address superior player performance and protection through the reduction of weight—could become a larger part of youth injury prevention strategy.??
5. [VIDEO ] In a new report by the MLSE Foundation , 49% of competitive youth athletes said sports need to be made more affordable, and 39% wanted more spaces where they could feel physically and psychologically safe to be themselves.??
6. Sportsmanship in youth sports is shifting as parents become more invested , according to Dr. David Hancock —an associate professor in Memorial University’s School of Human Kinetics and Recreation. “Leadership is learned behavior, and so is respect, so if kids see their parents being aggressive during the game, then they will act the same,” he says.???
7. The Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program is bringing youth of color into a sport dominated by white men . Over the summer, students meet at Langston Golf Course in Northeastern Washington and are taught different aspects of the sports business—including how to operate a golf course to merchandising and agronomy.?
8. Women’s and youth sports are leading sectors primed for big investments in 2024.?
9. Sports Illustrated's Publisher ?laid off the majority of staff.
10. [VIDEO ] The rise in youth baseball pitching injuries could be in part due to weighted ball programs, according to Dr. Jason Zaremski , Sports Medicine Physiatrist at the University of Florida College of Medicine and the lead author of a paper on the topic. He recommends these programs be avoided in preadolescent and adolescent athletes.?
This Weekend's Wins
It's tournament SZN! (Let's be real, when is it not). Read below for some of the tournament winners of this last weekend.
Did we miss you?! Tag us @LeagueApps so we can spotlight you in the next issue!?
It was a winning weekend in Rockland for Downtown United Soccer G2012 Blue and G2013 Blue!??
领英推荐
Congrats Texas Legacy Volleyball 15 National and 13 Adidas on becoming champs this weekend! And, congrats to 16 Elite and 17 Elite on your bid to nationals.
2029s & 2030s Alcatraz Outlaws are the Kings Showcase winners!
Congratulations Central Jersey Volleyball Academy 16 White girls on getting 2nd in Gold at Synergy, and 16 Onyx boys for winning their GEVA tournament!
Congrats ADVNC SF 10U Black Squad on winning the championship at the King's Showcase!
Pelican State Volleyball 14 Grey: Congrats on winning the Blue Crab Tournament!?
Long Island Rush Lacrosse Adrenaline won the championship at Battle in the Barn!?
Congratulations Cherries Lacrosse 2030/2031 Pee Wee A, 2029/2028 Bantam A, Great Lakes 2027/2026 Midget, and 2027 HS Boys Open on bringing home the hardware!
Lots of wins for Platform Volleyball this weekend: 16Silver took home first in the Durant Tournament, 13Molten won the Marion Magic Tournament, 13 Adidas & 14 Adidas won the Adrenaline Tournament, and 12 Navy took second place at Beyond the Baseline!
Congrats to Austin Skyline for all of your wins at the Central Texas Classic this weekend!??
Congrats Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball for the big wins this weekend! 13 Black with the epic comeback for first in gold, and 12 Black for first in bronze in the 13's tourney!?
And...
Resources
1. Check out these adorable action shots of youth basketball games, shot by the LaGrange Daily News.?
4. Four Deep Sports Talk —a local Attleboro, Mass. radio show—highlights youth sports programs.?
Social Spotlight
So true! ?? As Nelson Mandela once said, "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does." ?? Let's keep spreading positivity and safety in youth sports. Your newsletter sounds like a fantastic resource for making a real difference! Keep it up! ??