National Center for Sports Safety
I recently found out about the National Center for Sports Safety (NCSS), which was founded to promote the importance of injury prevention and safety on all levels of youth sports through education and research. The NCSS focuses on decreasing the number and severity of injuries through developing and teaching sports safety courses and collecting, analyzing and researching injury data.
HISTORY of NCSS
The NCSS was founded by renowned orthopedic surgeon Lawrence J. Lemak, M.D. in 2001 to promote the importance of injury prevention and safety on all levels of youth sports through education and research.
The vision of the NCSS is to standardize the level of care available to athletes on and off the playing field. By educating youth coaches in sports safety techniques and skills, they will gain the knowledge and confidence to prevent and respond to injuries and emergency situations appropriately until professional help arrives.
In 2004, the NCSS in conjunction with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), launched a comprehensive sports safety course called PREPARE. The course, which is available online at http://www.sportssafety.org/prepare/course/, is targeted at volunteer coaches and parents, many of whom have no formal training and need the basics in sports safety education. PREPARE covers everything from minor blisters and ankle sprains to life-threatening head and neck injuries. In approximately two-three hours, coaches and parents learn vital skills that could help save a child’s life. For a limited time this summer, volunteer coaches, community volunteers and parents in Alabama can take PREPARE for free with a special code. You can get the code by calling 866-508-NCSS.
“This movement to ‘raise the standard’ is so important to keep our youth athletes healthy and safe,” 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 for every sports facility in this country. If we can prevent just one fatality or injury, it will be worth the effort.” adds Lemak.
ABOUT THE NCSS FOUNDER
Dr. Lawrence J. Lemak, world renowned orthopaedic surgeon, is a founding partner of Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center and head of Lemak Sports Medicine, one of the nation’s leading orthopaedic clinics. He has played an integral role in sports medicine and arthroscopy research as one of the founders and board members of the American Sports Medicine Institute, a research and education center.
Dr. Lemak has traveled the world giving presentations in locales that include Japan, England and parts of South America. Many professional sports organizations call upon Dr. Lemak’s expertise as he serves as Medical Director for Major League Soccer, NFL Europe, Professional Golf Association and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. He is also Team Physician for many colleges and universities including Auburn University, Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, Alabama State University, Miles College and the University of Montevallo.
You can find more information about Dr. Lemak and the National Center for Sports Safety at http://www.sportssafety.org.
