Heat-related illness and death are on the rise. Each year about 200 people in the US die from heat stroke, making it one of the top three causes of death in athletes - and the leading cause of death among athletes in July and August. Yet heat illnesses and dehydration are largely preventable...

Click on the below link to download the PDF with much more information on this topic. Produced in conjunction with our partner, STOP Sports Injuries.

Hydration Issues in Sports PDF

Click below to listen to the iTPA's Executive Director Dr. Mark Kovacs being interviewed on blogradio by Alex Ramirez 4/23/2014.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/protenn/2014/04/23/mark-kovacs-on-the-coaches-corner

               Keep Kids in the Game for Life Through the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign

                              Healthcare and, Business Leaders, and Professional Athletes Join Forces to  Help
                                                                    Young Athletes Play Safe and Stay Healthy

Atlanta, Ga. –– Today, leaders at International Tennis Performance Association are coming together with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association and Safe Kids USA to promote the STOP Sports Injuries campaign. 

The campaign educates athletes, parents, athletic trainers, coaches and healthcare providers about the rapid increase in youth sports injuries, the necessary steps to help reverse the trend and the need to keep young athletes healthy. The STOP Sports Injuries campaign highlights include teaching proper prevention techniques, discussing the need for open communication between everyone involved in young athletes’ lives, and encouraging those affected to sign The Pledge to be an advocate for sports safety. The campaign website and pledge are available at www.STOPSportsInjuries.org.

Sports injuries among young athletes are on the rise.  According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high school athletes, alone, account for an estimated two million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations every year. 

The iTPA is excited to join this important campaign, as a major emphasis of our education is focused on preventing and limiting injuries in young tennis players,” said Dr. Mark Kovacs, iTPA Executive Director.

The high rate of youth sports injuries is fueled by an increase in overuse and trauma injuries and a lack of attention paid to proper injury prevention. According to the CDC, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable.

“Regardless of whether the athlete is a professional, an amateur, an Olympian or a young recreational athlete, the number of sports injuries is increasing – but the escalation of injuries in kids is the most alarming,” said Dr. James Andrews, former president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and STOP Sports Injuries Co-Campaign Chair.  “Armed with the correct information and tools, today’s young athletes can remain healthy, play safe, and stay in the game for life.”

Supporting the STOP Sports Injuries campaign are the country’s leading sports medicine organizations along with professional athletes and business leaders who have signed on as members of the campaign’s Council of Champions. This Council will help raise additional awareness about this growing epidemic of youth sports injuries.  Some of the founding members of the Council include former Olympic champions Christie Rampone, Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair, professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, MLB baseball player John Smoltz, NFL Hall of Fame defensive end, Howie Long, and Heisman Trophy winner and St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

Improving youth physical fitness is a major objective of city, state, regional and federal government agencies, multiple organizations and trade associations, non-profits and private companies. Below is an article provided by SHAPE America (The Society of Health and Physical Education – formerly AAHPERD). The goal of this article was to provide physical educators and health professionals with new and relevant information about physical fitness. This is a very good resource that covers in greater detail the following 10 Concepts of Youth Physical Fitness.


1)      Fitness education is an important part of the total physical education program

2)      Health-related physical fitness assessment is an important part of physical education and fitness education programs.

3)      The relationship between health-related fitness and health  varies by age, but it exists for people of all ages.

4)      Although the strength of health relation­ships varies for different parts of fitness among youth, it is important to teach about all health-related fitness components in fitness education programs.

5)      Functional fitness is an important consideration in fitness education.

6)      Health-related fitness test items for use in fitness education may differ from those used in research or for national surveillance.

7)      Cardiorespiratory endurance is the recommended term for the fitness component frequently described as cardiovascular fit­ness, aerobic fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, or cardiovascular endurance.

8)      An understanding of the term aerobic capacity is important for fitness education

9)      Fitness components classified as health-related are also criti­cal to performance in a variety of sports and other activities.

10)   Power, formerly considered a skill-related fitness component, can also be considered a health-related component of physical fit­ness.

 
Information from : Corbin et al. Youth Physical Fitness. JOPERD, 85 (2), 24-31, 2014

Download the 10 Aspects of Youth Physical Fitness PDF HERE

Atlanta, Ga (USA)--The International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA) today announced a new partnership with the Mexican Tennis Federation (Federación Mexicana de Tenis) to become the official sport science and physical conditioning education provider for tennis coaches, physical trainers, strength and conditioning professionals and physical therapists who work with tennis athletes throughout Mexico. The iTPA is the worldwide education and certification organization for trainers, coaches and specialists who are passionate about tennis-specific performance enhancement and injury prevention. The iTPA is the first of its kind in the tennis industry.

Through quality, evidence-based education combined with accurate, professional credentialing overseen by a Certification Commission comprised of world leading experts, the iTPA offers three levels of tennis-specific certification: Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT), Certified Tennis Performance Specialist (CTPS) and Master Tennis Performance Specialist (MTPS). “The iTPA was established to ensure that tennis players are provided with the best training from ITPA certified individuals using the latest evidence-based practical information to improve on-court tennis performance while limiting the likelihood of injuries,” said Dr. Mark Kovacs, Ph.D., FACSM, CTPS, MTPS, CSCS*D,  the ITPA Executive Director. “This exciting partnership with the Mexican Tennis Federation will allow for the latest education on tennis specific physical training to be gained by thousands of coaches, trainers and specialist who train tennis players throughout Mexico.”

The relationship allows for special educational benefits to individuals in Mexico as well as a number of unique iTPA educational events hosted in different towns throughout Mexico.

 “Training tennis players requires specific knowledge about the unique movements and demands of tennis which is different to most other sports, and the iTPA has the role of bringing the most credible information, backed by science, to educate and certify individuals who work on improving physical performance and/or preventing injuries.” said Todd Ellenbecker, DPT, FITPA, CTPS, founding chair of the iTPA Certification Commission.

“The Mexican Tennis Federation is very enthusiastic about this cooperation partnership with iTPA to help to develop a new platform of knowledge for coaches, trainers and physical specialists integrated in our National Tennis Program and in the Training Coaches System. We are supporting this joined effort for the future, which will have a tremendous impact on the tennis industry and our competitive players,” said Mr. Gastón Villegas Serralta, President of the Mexican Tennis Federation.

About International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA):
The ITPA is the worldwide education and certification organization for trainers, coaches and specialists who are passionate about tennis-specific performance enhancement and injury prevention. The education company offers a professional training and education process that establishes recognition through 3 certifications:  Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT), Certified Tennis Performance Specialist (CTPS) and Master Tennis Performance Specialist (MTPS).  The certification materials are overseen by the ITPA Certification Commission consisting of world experts in improving tennis performance and reducing injuries; visit the ITPA website at www.itpa-tennis.org.

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Download the release pdf here