Public Relations Committee
Purpose
Provide input and direction to NWATA’s public relations program.
NWATA Contact: Caroline Faure faurcaro@isu.edu
PR UPDATE for February 2010
NATA kicked off the year with a dynamic and compelling Youth Sports Safety Crisis in America summit on January 12 in Sacramento, Calif. The idea for this event developed in October as we collectively had tracked the prolific media attention to high school sports injuries. NATA, in an effort to raise the bar on this issue, and also promote legislation in California, created the Summit. Within two months, support was generated from 29 other leading health care and sports organizations.
The event garnered local and national attention and supported the introduction of new legislation in the state in January and spurred a special press conference with Summit participants. With National Athletic Training Month just weeks away, we continue to brainstorm on new ways to leverage this message. Below are highlights of the event as well as ongoing news bureau activities sustained throughout the month.
Total audience reach for January: 4,213,381
1. Alliance to Address the Youth Sports Safety Crisis in America
As reported above, NATA spearheaded this expansive effort on Tuesday, January 12 in Sacramento, Calif. The event was positioned as both a SUMMIT and MEDIA EVENT on-site in Sacramento. In addition to the formal speakers below, two legislative representatives – Assemblymember Mary Hayashi from Calif. and Rep. Elaine Smith from Idaho, spoke of their commitment to youth sports safety. We are excited to report that Hayashi introduced new legislation on Wednesday, January 26, 2010 making this event a true win-win.
Speakers included:
Moderator:
Michael West, MS, ATC, athletic trainer and assistant principal, Patriot High School, Riverside, Calif. West is also current president of the California Athletic Trainers’ Association and has spearheaded legislation calling for a defined scope of practice for athletic trainers in the state.
Introductory Comments:
Robert S. Burger, MD, a Sacramento-based orthopaedic surgeon and orthopaedic sports medicine specialist with Kaiser Permanente who represented the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Need for Automated External Defibrillators:
Cindy Chang, MD, former head team physician for the University of California’s 27 athletic teams from 1995-2008; assistant clinical professor at UC Davis and UC San Francisco; sports medicine specialist, consultant and team physician, intercollegiate athletes, UC Berkeley, representing the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
Diane Claerbout, board member, ParentHeart Watch, the national voice dedicated to protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. Claerbout lost her son Johannes (Jos) in 1999 due to sudden cardiac arrest from sports.
Exertional Heat Illness:
Rebecca Demorest, MD, associate medical director of pediatric and young adult sports medicine at Children’s Hospital Oakland, representing the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Brendon McDermott, PhD, ATC, assistant professor, graduate athletic training program, department of health and human performance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Concussion/Brain Injury:
Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, athletic trainer and the Kenan distinguished professor and chairman, department of exercise and sports science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and director, UNC sport-related traumatic brain injury research center.
Guest Speaker
Leigh Steinberg, one of the country’s leading sports attorneys and the inspiration for the film, “Jerry Maguire.” Steinberg has represented over 150 professional athletes in football, baseball, basketball, boxing and Olympic sports. An accomplished speaker, he is passionate about the topic of concussion management and ensuring that athletes of all levels get the best possible care.
Case History:
Beth Mallon, mother of Tommy who broke his neck while playing high school lacrosse, who has become an advocate on the youth sports safety front and founded Advocates for Injured Athletes to provide a support network and navigate health care for injured athletes and families.
Tommy Mallon, high school lacrosse player who was playing in his final game at Santa Fe Christian in San Diego just seven months ago. He collided with a player while heading downhill after a ground ball. He was spineboarded and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and told he fractured his neck and would never play sports again.
a. On-Site Media Attendance/Ongoing Coverage:
Highlighted below are preliminary media results to date for the summit.
ü The Sacramento Bee, Wednesday, January 13, total audience reach: 248,955
Health reporter Anna Tong attended the event and interviewed Mike West among other health experts and case history participants on-site. The story ran in the first section of the paper the day following the event. http://www.sacbee.com/preps/story/2457793.html
The article was also posted to a lacrosse blog. Total audience reach: 25,000:
ü The Sacramento Press: Wednesday, January 13, total audience reach: 2,500
Online paper reporter Nallellie Vega attended the forum and wrote a follow up story on its content and speakers:
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/20501/Safety_precautions_for_young_athletes
ü Capitol Weekly, Thursday, January 14, total audience reach: 10,000
Reporter Malcolm Maclachlan covered the event for this weekly publication, that targets professionals involved in the California government and those who with strong interest in the details of California politics and government.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yk1j83vpbvxrk9&xid=yk130nloq6d7dg&done=.yk1j83vpbwgrk9
ü Santa Maria Sun, Tuesday, January 19, total audience reach: 20,000. This article includes quotes from Mike West and Kevin Guskiewicz and mentions the Summit, NATA and CATA and the upcoming legislation being proposed by California Assemblymember Mary Hayashi.
http://www.santamariasun.com/cover/3756/the-impact-of head-injuries/
ü Training & Conditioning, Friday, January 22, total audience reach: 25,000: This trade magazine has already run content from the Summit media alert and post a blog on the Summit (which was written by Brendon McDermott).
ü ADVANCE for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine, Thursday, January 14, total audience reach: 25,000: This Web site publication (and has incorporated what was formerly Advance for Directors in Rehabilitation) ran content on its site from our Summit information.
ü KGO-TV, ABC, Friday, January 15, four airings during multiple broadcasts, total audience reach: 350,000.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=7221826
ü KTXTV-ABC, Tuesday, January 12, “News 10 Good Morning,” total audience: 15,000.
The local affiliate sent a cameraman to cover the event and ran a teaser that morning.
ü KTVU-TV (FOX), San Francisco, January 12, “Mornings on Two,” total audience reach: 185,000.
The affiliate ran two segments on the Summit program during its morning broadcast.
ü The Norwich (CT) Bulletin, Tuesday, January 26, total audience: 25,000
This article on youth sports safety was written by Dr. Andre Alessi, a Connecticut based doctor. It mentions the Summit and includes quotes from Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association president-elect, Vicki Graham.
ü National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association
The association ran the Summit press material on its Web site on January 22.
http://www.nssafame.com/Event/13817
PT Products Magazine, February 1, 2010, total audience: 26,000
http://www.ptproductsonline.com/SOAPNotes/2010-01-20_05.asp
b. Anticipated Coverage:
Channel One: This broadcast service provides editorial content to 8,000 middle and high schools throughout the country for material that is broadcast in classrooms and reaches nearly 8,000,000 students, teachers and administrators. Producer Toni DeAztlin attended the event and interviewed Kevin Guskiewicz on cheerleading and other high-school related injury/prevention topics. She is also considering a follow up interview with Tommy and Beth Mallon and Brendon McDermott.
LA (CA) Daily News: Reporters are interested in covering the summit and California legislative angles and we are providing content accordingly.
Athletic Business: Reporter Mike Popke is working on a story for April focusing on the Summit and advancements on the legislative front. He has talked with Mike West and a representative from Assemblymember Mary Hayashi’s office in Calif.
Note: Kevin Guskiewicz was interviewed at length and his content fact checked for a Time magazine cover story on the dangers of football (current issue). The reporter apologized that his quotes were cut from the final story and we are seeing if there are other ways to leverage Kevin’s insights in future follow up stories.
c. Related Stories
We have also been tracking/involved with other stories on the youth sports safety front where athletic trainers have been prominently featured.
Examples include:
Raleigh News & Observer, Sunday, January 31, 2010 (and Charlotte Observer): 193,010 (and 227,916).
High school reporter Ted Stevens wrote a prolific article on athletic trainers and hiring in the state of North Carolina. The youth sports safety article was also picked up in the Charlotte Observer.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/237/story/1215198.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/313416.html
KCBS-AM Radio, San Francisco, total audience reach: 250,000
CATA president Mike West was interviewed for a radio story following Calif. Assemblymember Mary Hayashi’s introduction of new legislation on the youth sports safety front on Wednesday, January 27.
http://www.kcbs.com/pages/6220780.php?
San Jose Mercury News & San Mateo Times, January 28, 2010, total audience reach: 225,000
CATA is sourced in this article on new legislation introduced in California – follow up from the NATA Summit.
http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_14273673?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
d. Additional Editorial Support
Associated Press, Thursday, January 28, 2010
This article on youth sports safety and related state legislation ran on Thursday, January 28 with a timely quote from Micky Collins, assistant director of UPMC sports medicine concussion program, and his recommendation that athletic trainers be in any environment where there are contact sports.
This article ran on ESPN.com, and the Oakland Tribune, LA Times, among other locations.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4865622
2. Advance for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine quarterly columns
We are confirmed for topics in 2010 including a heat acclimatization article co-authored by Doug Casa and Dave Csillan to run in the first quarter. The article written by Sue Stanley-Green on video gaming and rehabilitation will run online; and the article on heat acclimatization in secondary school sports in the March hard copy issue. Additional topics include:
- March 2010 -- Chronic back pain in the athlete (to be confirmed online)
- June 2010 -- Ankle instability and injury (sprains/strains)
- September 2010 -- Head Injury & Concussion – current research
3. National Athletic Training Month: Sports Safety is a Team Effort
We have confirmed with NATA the March 2010 theme of: Sports Safety is a Team Effort and are currently updating logos and other turn-key materials for the online tool kit. The theme will provide a terrific “next step” to the January summit on youth sports safety.
We are currently finalizing press release topics for the month and beginning initial writing; and will debut the NATA/American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons PSA on back pain and physical activity as referenced in prior monthly reports. The PSA is now approved and final.
4. Journal of Athletic Training
We are reviewing content for the special March issue on heat illness to determine best content for PR support.
5. NATA Association Partnerships
Ø NATA is a member of the newly formed National Physical Activity Plan, a committed group of associations encouraging physical activity and fitness. NATA is part of a planning committee that will spearhead a public relations program to support the launch of the initiative. We are also driving the communications document that will serve as a roadmap for all communications organizational partners.
6. NATA and AAOS Public Service Campaign 2010
NATA has teamed up with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on a timely PSA effort promoting back pain awareness and prevention. Robin Waxenberg and Ellen Satlof attended the PSA shoot in Baltimore, Maryland on October 1 and 2. This effort is slated for publicity in March 2010 and will include posters, in-airport ads and national distribution to key print media outlets.
7. It’s “ATHLETIC TRAINER” When It Comes to the Super Bowl
We emailed a letter on appropriate terminology to key sports media covering the Super Bowl, including select CBS producers and PR colleagues working on game day programming. We also contacted the athletic trainers from the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts to encourage their proper reference to the profession. And, Ellen Satlof corresponded with the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association to reach key CBS Super Bowl commentators, including Jim Nantz directly with our information.
8. Consumer Placements
Ø National Public Radio/Morning Edition, January 3, total audience reach: 1,500,000
Reporter Brenda Wilson interviewed Scott Anderson on the topic of NCAA and sickle cell trait screening guidelines. This segment was originally broadcast on December 28.
Ø Newark Star Ledger, Three Part Series Week of January 4, total audience reach: 800,000
We worked with reporter Jackie Friedman on a three part series the paper published on concussions and their impact on youth sports. The story included a specific focus on kids and concussion; cheerleading and the ImPACT testing program. The story also ran in the Gloucester (NJ) County Times newspaper.
http://blog.nj.com/hssportsextra/2010/01/kids_and_concussions_our_3-par.html.
Ø Colorado Springs Gazette, Thursday, January 21, total audience reach: 50,000
The Gazette sourced statistics from NATA on head injuries in sports (and specifically basketball). We had promoted these statistics in prior Journal of Athletic Training press releases.
http://www.gazette.com/sports/basketball-92782-becoming-concern.html
9. Trade Placements
Ø CQ Researcher:, January 29, 2010, total audience reach: 10,000
Reporter Alan Greenblatt wrote an extensive article on professional football and the state of the industry and sport including injury prevention and treatment. Marje Albohm was sourced in this extensive article which included a section on high school sports.