In August 2015, MomsTEAM Institute of Youth Sports Safety Executive Director, Brooke de Lench, spent a week in Grand Prairie, Texas working with administrators, coaches, parents, and athletes in the city's youth tackle and flag football and cheer program as part of MomsTEAM's SmartTeam™ pilot project.
In addition to providing a variety of new equipment - much of it donated by MomsTEAM underwriters - de Lench assembled in Grand Prairie a team of youth sports health and safety experts and safety equipment manufacturers from around the country and the world, to give presentations to the Grand Prairie youth football and cheer community and sit down for videotaped interviews with Brooke, including:
- Dr. Sophia Grant, a pediatrician at Cooks’ Children Hospital in Fort Worth, talked about protecting youth athletes from emotional, psychological and sexual injury and abuse.
- Dr. Elizabeth M. Pieroth, Associate Director of the Sports Concussion Program at NorthShore Medical in Chicago, consulting clinical neuropsychologist for the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, White Sox, and Fire, and consultant to the National Football League, flew in from the Windy City to talk about concussion risk management in youth football.
- Most Pediatricians Can Treat Uncomplicated Concussions, But Referral Sometimes Needed, Says Pieroth
- Don’t Overprescribe Cognitive Rest After Concussion, Says Pieroth
- Individualized Return To Learn Approach Needed, Says Pieroth
- Make Sure Neuropsychologist Has Training In Concussion Testing and Treatment, Says Pieroth
- Signs Of Head Injury Requiring Immediate Trip To Emergency Room
- Dr. James MacDonald, a Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, spoke about preventing overuse injuries, implementing an Emergency Action Plan, and the importance of pre-participation physical exams.
- Former Dallas Cowboy Caleb Hanie, who spoke about the Rock Solid flag football helmets his company donated to the program.
- Sassa Akervall, CEO of Arkevall Technologies, who flew in from Finland, to spoke about the company's Sisu mouth guards and what mouth guards can and can't do in protecting athletes from injury.
- Erin and Lee Hanson, the owners of Guardian Caps, who came from South Carolina to talk about the soft practice helmets their company donated to Grand Prairie.
- Jesse Harper, Chief Executive Officer of i1 Biometrics, who flew from Seattle to talk about his company’s Vector impact sensing mouth guards.
- Anthony Edwards, the marketing director of Hudl, the Official Video Partner of SmartTeams™, who travelled from Wichita, Kansas to talk about the use of video as a tool in youth sports coaching and the company’s donation of over 200 Hudl accounts.
- Former Dallas Cowboy Hurles Scales and former Olympic staff chiropractor Dr. Steve Horwitz, who talked about the importance of resistance training.
- Nationally recognized tackle coach Bobby Hosea, who travelled from Los Angeles to teach the kids proper tackling
- A representative from the local chapter of the American Red Cross, who held a day-long training session for parents and coaches in first aid,CPR, and the use of an AED.
Over the coming weeks, we will be posting both short "teachable moment" and, for some, longer and/or full-length videos featuring this impressive group of sports safety experts and equipment manufacturers.
Major Funding for the SmartTeams Grand Prairie Pilot Project Is Provided By:
