The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of Connecticut is pleased to announce that Stewart and Early County School districts in Georgia will be receiving funding through the innovATe project. The innovATe project is a $3 million-dollar collaborative program being administered by KSI and is funded by the Education Fund established as part of the National Football League Concussion Litigation. The mission of innovATe is to increase access to medical care provided by an athletic trainer for secondary school athletes in underserved communities through the provision of funding, advocacy, education, mentorship and strategic support to school districts with help through partnerships with local medical services.
“The innovATe project is a unique opportunity to support the addition of athletic training services in secondary schools across the country that have not previously been able to support an athletic training position,” says Christianne Eason, PhD ATC, KSI President of Sport Safety and director of the innovATe project. “High school athletes are still developing physically and cognitively and they need access to the medical care an athletic trainer can provide as much as collegiate and professional athletes, if not more.”
Athletic trainers in the secondary school setting are invaluable as they are able to provide treatment for chronic and acute sport-related injuries, enhance the return to sport process through rehabilitation and medical referrals, help mitigate the risk of catastrophic sport related injuries and illnesses through emergency planning and response and serve as a role model to the student-athletes in their communities.
“The innovATe project was designed to bring desperately needed medical care to high school athletes in communities across the country that deserve access to health care that can be provided by athletic trainers,” says Douglas Casa, ATC, PhD, KSI CEO and Professor of Kinesiology. “The addition of athletic trainers is an important step in protecting the health and safety of student athletes at these schools.”
Stewart and Early County were selected to be a part of the first innovATe cohort because of their desire to provide athletic training services to the student athletes in their communities. In their application, school administrators clearly articulated the value that athletic trainers can bring to their communities but also highlighted their need. Stewart County has the highest rate of childhood asthma in the state and Early County is more than 40 miles from the nearest Trauma 1 center in Eufaula, Alabama.
“We want for our students what others who live in communities with higher wealth and tax bases want for their own: quality health and physical services to ensure the safety, security and wellness of our children. We may be small in size but community sizes do not influence the high hopes, expectations and dreams we have for our students,” wrote Stewart and Early Counties in their innovATe application.
In addition to providing financial support, the innovATe project is working with local and national partners to help provide resources and build community support to help sustain these new athletic training programs. Mueller Sports Medicine and Kestrel Instruments will be donating supplies to each school to help aid in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of exertional heat illnesses, while Defibtech will work with each school to help secure AEDs.
“Nielsen-Kellerman® Co. (NK) has partnered with KSI for nearly a decade in raising awareness of the dangers of heat exposure to young athletes. Our Kestrel® 5400 Heat Stress Tracker has been a key part of helping athletic trainers monitor conditions and keep their athletes healthy and safe,” said Alix James, NK CEO. “We are so pleased to be able to help less well-funded programs gain access to the expertise and tools that will help save lives and ensure safe and effective training for their student athletes.”
“Defibtech is proud to work with the Korey Stringer Institute and the innovATe program,” says AJ Pace, Vice President of Global Marketing at Defibtech, LLC. “We know the important role AEDs play in keeping student-athletes safe from sudden cardiac arrest.”
Additionally, the National Football League Alumni Association is working with KSI to identify retired NFL players to help support each community by providing education, mentorship and opportunities for student athletes, coaches, administrators, and guardians.
“This project combines our dual mission of Caring for Kids and Caring for Our Own,” said NFLA President Bart Oates. “We are proud to assist the Kory Stringer Institute in their effort to provide access to those in need of quality care and education on and off the field.”
Stewart and Early Counties hope to have athletic trainers hired to begin providing medical services for their student athletes for the fall preseason.
NFL Alumni Association
NFL Alumni was founded in 1967 and is the oldest and most recognizable national organization of retired professional athletes. NFL Alumni consists of former NFL players, coaches, executives, spouses, cheerleaders, and associate members. Part of NFL Alumni’s dual mission is “Caring for Kids”. Player alumni give back in their local communities by raising funds for youth-related charities through their 35 regional chapters. It is a tradition that has existed for more than 50 years. Alumni support typically raises more than $1.5 million dollars for worthwhile causes. The other half of NFLA’s mission, “Caring for our Own” is to serve, assist and inform its members and their families. Alumni members are offered a diverse package of wellness, business, career, and legal services to help members and their families be healthy, productive, and connected to one another. To learn more please visit: https://www.nflalumni.org/.
The Korey Stringer Institute
The Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut is a 501.3(c) non-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide research, education, advocacy and consultation to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death for the athlete, warfighter and laborer. It was founded to honor the legacy of Korey Stringer, an offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings, who passed away from exertional heatstroke in August 2001. The Korey Stringer Institute is partnered with the National Football League, Gatorade, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Camelbak, Kestrel, Mission, First Line Technology, and Eagle Pharmaceuticals.
For additional information, please visit https://ksi.uconn.edu
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