Photo credit **Miami Dolphins**
It is no secret that player safety and concussions have been a widely hot topic among football circus. So, the Miami Dolphins have decided to take a stand by helping local high schools in the area.
On July 24, The Miami Dolphins Foundation, through their Youth Programs platform announced it has teamed up with the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute and KiDZ Neuroscience Center at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis to sponsor The University of Miami Countywide Concussion Care High School Program for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. It is expected, the program will impact more than 15,000 high school student athletes per year in the area.
“We are excited to aid student-athletes, parents and coaches of all sports in working with the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute to help identify, treat and establish protocols on concussions and reinforce health and safety standards,” said Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Affairs Jason Jenkins. “Sports play such an important role in character development and teach positive lessons of teamwork, physical and mental toughness, resilience and competitiveness.”
The testing will be given to both boys and girls in sports and activities will include football, soccer, wrestling, basketball, baseball, and cheerleading. This will establish brain parameters for student athletes.
The Dolphins sponsorship will also help pay for counseling, education and workshops on concussions through a program run by the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute and KiDZ Neuroscience Center at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
“Our team is excited about this partnership with the Miami Dolphins,” said Gillian Hotz, M.D., Director of the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute’s concussion program. “Their understanding of the importance of education, safety and concussion management in high school sports enables us to provide a safer playing field for local student athletes.”
The University of Miami Countywide Concussion Care High School Program was established back in 2012. The program came after the passing of the Florida Youth Concussion Legislation, which by state law that requires any student-athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion must immediately be pulled from the playing field and receive medical clearance from doctors to return to play.
Initially, the money was raised through The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis by Ransom Everglades School to assist with the program. Throughout the last few years, the program has grown to include all contact high school sports in Miami-Dade County.
The Countywide Concussion Care High School Program includes a protocol called six steps to play safe, which, will be managed by a team of experts in neurology, neurosurgery, neuroscience, ENT, physical therapy and neuropsychology.
A yearly education and training workshop will be provided by a medical team for all high school athletic trainers and athletic directors before each football season to update their knowledge of the protocol and concussion management. Also, concussion education will be provided to all high school football teams through video and classroom discussions.
As part of their new partnership, the Dolphins will participate in an annual concussion seminar on August 2 at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute.
For the last two years, The Miami Dolphins Youth Programs has sponsored a high school training program at Norland High School that covers the cost of training for all coaches that take part in Player Safety Coach (PSC) certifications. They have also hosted youth in the Miami-Dade area as well as high school football teams to watch offseason practices and participate in character building sessions.
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