MOR Sports Medicine Physician Heads to Africa
for U17 FIFA World Cup Tournament

Dr. Jeffrey Mjaanes, a Pediatric and Adult Sports Medicine specialist at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, will travel as team physician with the USA Under 17 Men's National Soccer Team as they compete for the World Cup in Nigeria, Africa, this month.

In April 2009 the USA U-17 team competed in the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) World Cup qualifying tournament in Mexico. The team defeated Cuba, Canada and Honduras to qualify, making the US team the only one to qualify for all 13 FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) World Cup Championships. Unfortunately, due to Swine Flu concerns and border restrictions, the tournament prematurely ended and all players, coaches, and medical staff were sent home to their respective countries.

In August, Dr. Mjaanes traveled to Nigeria for the World Cup draw and pre-tournament security and medical meetings. The meetings focused on security procedures, medical concerns and protocols for keeping the players healthy and safe. Since the draw, Dr Mjaanes has been busy organizing and preparing for the medical aspect of the trip. Vaccinations for the players, malaria prophylaxis, and education on prevention of food-borne illness have been top concerns.

"Keeping the players in top physical condition is, of course, paramount in any competition," says Dr. Mjaanes. "Nigeria poses unique challenges, everything from the excessive heat to malaria to food and water contamination. The team is ready and prepared - we just need to work hard to try and keep them as healthy as possible."

The team has continued their rigorous practice schedule at their home training camp in Bradenton, Florida, in preparation for the upcoming World Cup games. They will travel to Nigeria for their first game against Spain on October 26, 2009. The team will then face Malawi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on October 29 and November 1, respectively. The tournament will continue in eight cities throughout Nigeria until the final championship game on November 15, 2009.

Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush congratulates the team for their hard work and accomplishments and wishes them luck in their upcoming competition.