This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Cougars' Game Gets Ball Rolling for STOP Sports Injuries Campaign

Fox Valley Orthopedics Strives to Keep Young Athletes in the Game for Life - Group joins efforts with American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and Sports Celebrities.

Sports injuries among young athletes are on the rise. Fox Valley Orthopedics has joined forces with the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, numerous other medical associations, and sports celebrities such as professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, MLB baseball player John Smoltz, and Heisman Trophy winner and St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford to promote the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign.

The campaign’s mandate is to educate athletes, parents, trainers, coaches, and healthcare providers about the rapid increase in youth sports injuries, especially those related to overuse and trauma. 

“All too many young athletes are finding their careers cut short by injury,” says Dr. Kevan Ketterling, a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at FVO and team physician for the Kane County Cougars. “The STOP Sports Injuries campaign is attempting to address this through education, making youth sports safer, and enabling young athletes to reach their full potential.”

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the Kane County Cougars’ home game on June 11th, FVO physicians were on hand before the game to share sports injury prevention tips with the audience.

Hundreds of parents, coaches, and young athletes stopped by the FVO STOP Sports Injury campaign booth to learn more about preventing sports injuries, and to sign a pledge to become advocates for sports safety. 

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Cougars have pledged their continuous support throughout the season by playing injury prevention public service announcements on the JumboTron, messages highlighting injury prevention in a variety of youth sports such as hockey, football, gymnastics, cheerleading, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and baseball.  

“We are proud to have been at the Cougars’ game over the weekend, and are looking forward to continuing to play a part in our community’s efforts to educate everyone on how to prevent youth sports injuries,” says FVO sports medicine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Timothy Petsche.

According to the CDC, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable. High school athletes alone account for an estimated two million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations every year. The STOP Sports Injuries campaign highlights include teaching proper prevention techniques, and discussing the need for open communication between everyone involved in young athletes’ lives.   

 

For more information, visit fvortho-goplay.com or stopsportsinjuries.org.

 

ABOUT FOX VALLEY ORTHOPEDICS

FVO was founded in 1973 in Geneva, Illinois for the purpose of providing exceptional comprehensive orthopedic care in an environment that puts patients first. The Institute provides a vast range of bone and joint surgery and care through its advanced imaging center, ambulatory surgery center, and CoSport physical therapy. Dedicated to the community, Fox Valley Orthopedics provides athletic trainers in many local high schools and is the official team physician group for the Kane County Cougars. The practice serves communities throughout Chicago with offices in Geneva, Elgin, and Naperville. For more information, go to www.fvortho.com

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?