GREENSBORO, N.C., August 28, 2012 – Fifteen-year-old high school sophomore Nicolas Dellaventura had just finished a 90-minute football practice on July 23 in New York when he collapsed on the field. Efforts to revive him by coaches and emergency workers failed and Nicolas died en route to the hospital. The verdict: exertional heat stroke. Two weeks later, Daniel Lule, 17, of Spirit Valley, Illinois, collapsed 20 minutes into football practice and died later at the hospital. Officials suspect cardiac arrest brought on by the stress of the heat.
Last year five high school athletes died from heat-related stress, according to the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI), an organization founded at the University of Connecticut to investigate and find ways to prevent sudden death in sport, especially from heat stroke. The group was created in 2001after Korey Stringer, a Pro-Bowler offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings, died from heat stroke.
Since the start of summer, KSI reports that 21 athletes have died during practice or in competition from a variety of causes. The number indicates the need for continued improvements in educating athletes, coaches, trainers and schools on ways to reduce such deaths.
Information like this is one of the reasons CR Legal Team introduced recently its Sports Safety Clinics. Former youth coach and CR Legal Team Community Involvement Specialist, Jason Knight, is conducting these free presentations to student-athletes and parents throughout North Carolina to share ways to limit injuries in sport. The focus of these half-hour presentations is more than just the prevention of sprains, cuts and bruises, but on the lesser known dangers of sport, including concussion, heat and weather-related injuries, skin diseases, and more.
"CR Legal Team has long been involved in efforts to prevent injury," Knight says. "Our business is helping people who have been injured, so we see first-hand the devastation to individuals and families that serious injury causes."
In addition to its free Sports Safety Clinics, the firm's SafetyZone initiative is involved in bicycle safety, child passenger seat safety, water safety, and efforts aimed to reduce distracted driving, especially among young drivers.
To discuss having Jason come to a youth sports practice, parent meeting, or other team gathering, contact him at jjknight@crumleyroberts.com.
Free Initial Consultation
