Youth Sports and Concussions: GW Experts Available to Comment on White House Summit

The White House will hold a summit on youth sports and concussions on Thursday to raise awareness of head injuries in children who play sports. The administration is expected to announce new commitments by the public and private sectors to educate athletes, parents, coaches, schools officials and others on how to identify and treat concussions and to conduct research to help understand how sports-related concussions affect young athletes. The George Washington University has experts available to speak to the media about the health risks associated with concussions, legal issues arising from concussions, brain injuries, youth sports, the marketing and management of youth sports programs and exercise science. Email [email protected] or call 202-994-6460 to schedule an interview with the following GW experts: Gerard A. Gioia, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is a pediatric neuropsychologist whose research focuses on concussion recovery in children. He can discuss effective methods to evaluate and treat youth concussions. Sorel has been invited to participate in the summit. Mark Hyman, assistant teaching professor of management in the GW School of Business sport management program, can discuss the business and history of youth sports, sports parenting and the pursuit of college scholarships. Mr. Hyman is the author of three books on the problematic state of youth sports. Michael Kaplen, professorial lecturer in law, is an expert on brain-injury law. He is a noted author and lecturer on legal issues and advocacy in the field of traumatic brain injury. At GW, Mr. Kaplen teaches what is believed to be the first course devoted to the legal implications of traumatic brain injuries. The course is an outgrowth of a lawsuit filed by 5,000 retired NFL players who claim the league hid the dangers of concussions.
 Lisa Delpy Neirotti, associate professor of sport management, is an expert on the marketing and management of youth sports programs. She can discuss the economic impact of youth sports, as well as the role youth sports plays in social development in such areas as education, health and conflict resolution.
 Email GW’s Milken Institute School of Public Health at [email protected] or 202-994-8354 to schedule an interview with the following experts: Eliot Sorel, clinical professor of global health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, is an internationally recognized global health leader, educator, health systems policy expert and practicing physician. Dr. Sorel is co-chair of the Protecting Athletes and Sports Safety (PASS) initiative launched by the National Council on Youth Sports Safety, Inc. He can talk about the prevalence of sport injuries and how many injuries in young players can be prevented. Sorel has been invited to participate in the summit. Robert Graham, research professor of health policy at the Milken Institute SPH can talk about the risk of concussions in children, teens and young adults who play sports. Dr. Graham served as the chair of an Institute of Medicine committee that issued a report on concussions in young athletes. He can talk about the report, the science behind concussions and standards that could help reduce the occurrence of sport-related injuries, including head injuries. Amanda J. Visek, assistant professor of exercise science, can discuss sport psychology, exercise psychology and youth sports as an expert in behavior change, behavioral health, counseling, exercise science and mental health. GW’s Flash Studio, a state-of-the-art broadcast studio, is available for remote, live or taped television and radio interviews. The studio is operated in partnership with VideoLink.
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