Promoting Sports Safety through a Community Outreach Education Program

Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush has joined the National Center for Sports Safety (NCSS) Affiliate Program to help ensure safe playing environments for athletes across the state. This is done through educating coaches through PREPARE, a comprehensive sports safety program.

Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush recognized that individuals in youth sports organizations, whether administrators, league officials, or volunteer coaches, should understand the necessity of sports safety. The objective was to select a program that would help bridge the gap between volunteer coaches and health care professionals, with the ultimate goal of helping to make sports programs safer for the athletes.

The NCSS' partnership with national youth sports organizations, including USA Rugby, Pop Warner Little Scholars, and others, has enabled the organization to educate thousands of coaches on injury prevention and response to emergency situations. Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush's commitment to the mission of the NCSS will help to set the standard in sports safety education and, in turn, help to reduce injuries.

"The movement to 'raise the standard' is so important to keep youth athletes healthy and safe, both on and off the field," says Lawrence J. Lemak, M.D., founder of the NCSS. "There is not one parent that would drop their child off at a local community pool if there were not a certified lifeguard on duty. That same standard of care should be available at every sports facility in this country. If we can prevent just one injury, it will be worth the effort. We are pleased to have Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush be a part of our team as we strive to educate coaches nationwide. Their commitment to sports safety education will help to ensure the safety of all athletes throughout Illinois," adds Lemak.

"We believe that injury prevention and sports safety is at the core of what we do and we are thrilled to partner with NCSS to promote safety in youth sports programs throughout the Chicago metropolitan area," stated Charles Bush-Joseph, MD., head team physician for the Chicago White Sox and managing partner of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.

To learn about how your organization can become better PREPARED by attending a hands-on training session, contact Tammy Sciortino at 708.236.2624.