The level of competitiveness in young athletes has grown tremendously in the last decade, leading to single-sport athletes and overuse injuries. As a result, the America Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine launched the STOP sports injury campaign in order to advise physicians, coaches, parents and athletes about the best practices for avoiding sports-related injuries.
"The STOP Sports Injury campaign is a national effort to educate and reach out to athletes around the country to decrease injuries," says Michael Ciccotti, MD, directory of the sports medicine team at Philadelphia's Rothman Institute. "This is done in a grass roots way. Orthopedists and sports medicine specialists all over the country are reaching out to educate the athletes, coaches and parents."
The program provides tips for athletes about how to prevent injuries specialized for several different activities. The campaign also offers resources for coaches on how to train their athletes and work with "difficult parents." Finally, the campaign provides literature and information for physicians to utilize with their patients in order to educate them about safe athletic practices.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm to try to make this program move forward," says Peter J. Millett, MD, a partner at Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.
Several high-profile athletes and celebrities have collaborated with the STOP Sports Injuries campaign by giving presentations to young athletes about how to approach sporting activities safely. Members of the campaign's council of champions include former Olympic speed skater Bonnie Blair, former baseball player Hank Aaron and professional golfer Jack Nicklaus.
The AOSSM is also currently focused on researching and preventing baseball injuries by tracking injuries through a national database. The research implements pitch counts and tracks the number of innings played and injuries incurred in the database.
"In young pitchers there has been a lot of stress on the arm and shoulder," says Dr. Millett. "First we have to track the problem and then we can understand it. Once we understand it, we can come up with strategies to potentially prevent it."
Learn more about the STOP Sports Injuries campaign.
Read more coverage on injury prevention:
- 5 Strategies for Preventing Overuse Injuries in Youth Sports Medicine
- Rush University Medical Center Physicians Join STOP Sports Injury Campaign
- Hospital for Special Surgery's Women's Sports Medicine Center Focus on Unique Treatment of Female Athletes
"The STOP Sports Injury campaign is a national effort to educate and reach out to athletes around the country to decrease injuries," says Michael Ciccotti, MD, directory of the sports medicine team at Philadelphia's Rothman Institute. "This is done in a grass roots way. Orthopedists and sports medicine specialists all over the country are reaching out to educate the athletes, coaches and parents."
The program provides tips for athletes about how to prevent injuries specialized for several different activities. The campaign also offers resources for coaches on how to train their athletes and work with "difficult parents." Finally, the campaign provides literature and information for physicians to utilize with their patients in order to educate them about safe athletic practices.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm to try to make this program move forward," says Peter J. Millett, MD, a partner at Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.
Several high-profile athletes and celebrities have collaborated with the STOP Sports Injuries campaign by giving presentations to young athletes about how to approach sporting activities safely. Members of the campaign's council of champions include former Olympic speed skater Bonnie Blair, former baseball player Hank Aaron and professional golfer Jack Nicklaus.
The AOSSM is also currently focused on researching and preventing baseball injuries by tracking injuries through a national database. The research implements pitch counts and tracks the number of innings played and injuries incurred in the database.
"In young pitchers there has been a lot of stress on the arm and shoulder," says Dr. Millett. "First we have to track the problem and then we can understand it. Once we understand it, we can come up with strategies to potentially prevent it."
Learn more about the STOP Sports Injuries campaign.
Read more coverage on injury prevention:
- 5 Strategies for Preventing Overuse Injuries in Youth Sports Medicine
- Rush University Medical Center Physicians Join STOP Sports Injury Campaign
- Hospital for Special Surgery's Women's Sports Medicine Center Focus on Unique Treatment of Female Athletes