PPE Coalition for Youth Sports and Safety
PPE Initiative Launch Event & Press Conference: May 13, 2010
Across the U.S. there is no formal standardization of the young athlete’s pre-participation medical evaluation (PPE or pre-participation evaluation). States have varying standards and requirements on what needs to be checked and who may perform the evaluation. These examinations are important since many disorders that can cause serious problems may be picked up during the evaluation.
The newly formed PPE Coalition for Youth Sports and Safety held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC this morning. This event launched an initiative to standardize and upgrade the pre-participation physical evaluation. This was done in conjunction with the publication of the fourth edition of the PPE Pre-participation Physical Evaluation, written with the collaboration of 6 medical societies, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine.
A standard and thorough pre-participation physical evaluation is vital for the health and safety of young athletes. The purpose of the Coalition is to encourage the use of a standard PPE. To provide a safer environment for the athletes, the coalition is pressing to create a specific standard.
A website has been established to promote the initiative. You may download the new standardized PPE H&P form
PPE 4th Edition
Information on the organization, the founding and participating organizations, and the newly published text is available at the new website: http://www.ppesportsevaluation.org/ .
The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine is one of the founding members of the coalition and was recognized at the event along with the other founders. I attended this event as a representative of the AAPSM.
Among the speakers was Jim Ryun, was the first high school runner to run a mile in under 4 minutes. He set a high school record of 3:55.3 for the mile, which stood for 36 years. Former Congressman Ryun also held the world record in the mile, 1500-meter, and 880 yard runs. He participated in three summer Olympic games in 1964, 1968, and 1972. He won the silver medal in the 1500 meter run in 1968. Recently ESPN declared him to be the best high school athlete ever, finishing ahead of Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Jim Ryun spoke of the importance of having physical education included within a revised “no child left behind” law. With the rise in childhood obesity there is no reason to have only one year of PE required in the 4 years of high school. To much amusement he told of not making the baseball or basketball team, but being able to join the cross country team. With a rapid increase from no running to up to 60 miles per week, he found that his first injury was an incredibly painful case of shin splints.
Also speaking was Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina. He is the founder of the Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports. As a member of the “Blue Dog Coalition” he attempts to forge a bipartisan agreement on health and fitness related issues. His feelings were strong on the importance of safely encouraging youth health and fitness. He spoke of how what we teach our children is our message to a far-off future that we will not be around to see.
Included in the initiative was recognition of the importance of serving children with special needs an including these special athletes in all of the initiatives that are now set in motion. The AAPSM has long supported initiatives along this line as evidenced by the Special Olympics “Fit Feet” project.
Many other initiatives were discussed including the fight against childhood obesity which has long been a goal of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Exercise along with all of the organizations which participate in the Joint Commission on Sports Medicine and Sports Science. The recently completed White House Task Force on Obesity and the newly created Let’s Move program were mentioned as hopeful programs to change the trend of increasing childhood obesity.
Encouraging healthy eating and regular exercise for everyone within the context of safe programs is all of our jobs.
PPE
This applies to young and old, and for those who are slim and not so slim. Everyone who can do so needs to move for optimal health and to keep both the mind and the body in good working order. The PPE initiative will help young people as safe as possible and be an aid in detecting serious diseases which may put them at risk. For those who pass successfully through the PPE the greater risk will be in not participating.
Resources:
PPE H&P form (PDF) http://www.ppesportsevaluation.org/evalform.pdf
Preparticipation Physical Evalution – 4th Edition and further information: http://www.ppesportsevaluation.org/body.html
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