Don’t prevent your child from playing the sport they love, do the research to find how best to protect your child so that they can better enjoy the sport they love.
August 2020 Named “Abdominal Injury in Youth Football Awareness Month” in Florida
The Florida House of Representatives passed a resolution to recognize August 2020 as “Abdominal Injury in Youth Football Awareness Month.” This ceremonial resolution was sponsored by Representative Mel Ponder.
An abdominal injury can occur from a blunt force hit to the abdomen, side, or mid-to-low back. This injury is more prevalent among adolescents due to the abdominal wall not yet being fully developed and a lack of protective equipment. There are multiple vital organs in the abdomen; any damage to those organs can potentially cause serious harm.
Abdominal protection equipment such as rib shirts, flak jackets and back plates are commonly worn among college and professional football players. With the torso often being the targeted zone for tackling, protection equipment and proper tackling/blocking techniques are crucial to protecting athletes from abdominal injuries.
Symptoms to watch for:
- Abdominal pain, bruising or swelling
- Lower back pain
- Rebound tenderness
- Signs of internal bleeding: decreased alertness, dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting
Simple ways to protect players:
- Talk to coaches and athletic trainers about safety
- Have Emergency Action Plans
- Have medical personnel on the sidelines
- Wear protective equipment
- Seek medical attention in case of emergency
The Taylor Haugen Foundation and the YESS© Program (Youth Equipment for Sports Safety)
The mission of the Youth Equipment for Sports Safety Program (YESS©) is to educate and equip student athletes with new generation, high-tech equipment to help better protect against abdominal injuries.
The YESS© Program will, through a variety of mediums, provide abdominal safety awareness and equipment to middle and high school aged teams, School Boards, and community groups within the secondary age group. Based on available resources, the Foundation will energetically partner with interested groups to present grants, match funds, and/or provide education in order to promote this much needed abdominal safety equipment.
Pledge to Protect
We created the #PledgeToProtect to educate players, parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and anyone involved with youth football on how to protect players from abdominal injuries.
Abdominal injuries in football, particularly youth football, are more common than most people realize. They can cause serious damage to the ribs, spleen, liver and other organs, and they have even led to death for some. We hope the sport participant, parents & athletic supporters would take these risks seriously and protect our kids.
By joining the Taylor Haugen Foundation’s national #PledgeToProtect campaign, you are potentially saving lives and encouraging action for better, more widespread protection to prevent these traumatic injuries.