Alliance Launches National Action Plan For Sports Safety

Alliance Launches National Action Plan For Sports Safety

WASHINGTON—The Youth Sports Safety Alliance, composed of more than 100 organizations committed to keeping youth athletes safe, launched the first “National Action Plan for Sports Safety” to ensure comprehensive action to protect student athletes. 

The plan was finalized at the 4^th Annual Youth Sports Safety Summit in Washington, produced by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

The athletes, parents, school and sports officials and policymakers also formally released a Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights to reinforce the rights of young athletes and outline essential elements that should be recognized.

The national action plan provides a list of guidelines, including having a comprehensive athletic healthcare program and a healthcare team; assuring safe practice and play facilities that are regularly inspected; having a plan for selection, fit and maintenance of athletic equipment; adopting injury and illness prevention strategies; making coaches, parents and athletes aware of potential problems related to the misuse of nutritional supplements, performance enhancement substances and energy drinks; and establishing protocols for heat acclimatization, lighting, poor air quality and other environmental factors.

For more information, log on to www.youthsportssafetyalliance.org