New App Helps Coaches and Parents Recognize and Respond to Possible Concussions in Young Athletes
A new Concussion Recognition & Response app from PAR allows coaches and parents to quickly determine whether an individual is exhibiting and/or reporting the signs and symptoms of a suspected concussion.
In less than 5 minutes, coaches and parents can go through a checklist of possible signs and symptoms to decide whether to remove the child from play and seek medical attention.
The app also provides home symptom monitoring for post-injury follow-up. Designed for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android device or tablet, the app is now available for download from the Apple App Store or Android Market.
Using information from the CDC’s “Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports” program, the app guides users through a set of questions to determine the likelihood of a suspected concussion based on observations by the parent or coach as well as symptoms reported by the athlete.
- Takes only 5 minutes or less to complete the checklist.
- Easily tracks athletes’ recovery to share with health care providers.
- Records GPS location of each incident for documentation.
- A portion of all proceeds will be donated to support concussion research.
PAR’s Concussion Recognition & Response app was developed by concussion experts Gerard A. Gioia, PhD, a pediatric neuropsychologist and chief of the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children’s National Medical Center, and Jason Mihalik, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina.
iPlayBook IceHockey Gives Coaches, Players and Fans a New Way to Draw Plays
Just days after its release, a new ice hockey coaching whiteboard app has reached number 11 on the list of the most popular sports apps for mobile devices. iPlayBook IceHockey (http://www.iplaybook.net), designed for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, is now available on iTunes. For a limited time, the app can be downloaded for only $0.99.
An indispensable tool for coaches and the perfect low-cost gift for ice hockey players and fans, iPlayBook IceHockey allows the user to draw plays, position players and create drills — all in the palm of the hand. Users can choose from three different ice formations and diagram face-offs, power plays and penalty kills, then share their plays with coaches, players and fans.
Working like a cross between a whiteboard and on-screen animation, iPlayBook IceHockey lets the user reposition players by touching and dragging them around the screen. Users can even draw passes with the touch of a finger. When a play or drill is just right, the user can save it to the photo library as an image or e-mail it to friends directly from within the iPlayBook IceHockey app.
iPlayBook IceHockey is a novel way for coaches to collaborate with one another and for players to visually review plays during the game, if needed, without tipping their hand to the other team. But it also gives fans the opportunity to get more involved in their favorite sport. Fans watching the game can create plays they think would work better or re-create successful plays while discussing the game with friends.
“iPlayBook IceHockey is an outstanding tool for coaches and players at all levels,” stated Jim Boyle, founder and president of iPlayBook Apps. “We are thrilled to bring our outstanding iPlayBook App technology to the popular sport of ice hockey.”
Odyssey introduces new Black Series Tour Designs putters
The Number One Putter in Golf Presents Precision-Crafted Milled Putters Inspired by Tour Feedback
Callaway Golf Company announced the January 15th retail availability of their new Odyssey® Black Series® Tour Designs line of milled putters. The latest innovation from The Number One Putter in Golf®, Black Series Tour Designs were crafted through extensive work between the Odyssey design team and professional golfers across the world’s major tours.
With a new black look, the precision-crafted milled putters in Odyssey’s Black Series Tour Designs line feature updated shapes and more head options, all designed to offer elite performance at the highest levels of the game. Each putter is milled from 1025 carbon steel for the soft feel demanded by the best players in the world.
“In creating the Black Series Tour Designs putters, we consulted with some of the greatest players in the game, including Phil Mickelson,” said Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer for Odyssey Golf. “We incorporated this Tour player feedback into the design of these precision-crafted milled putters. The result is updated shapes and more head options preferred by better players, all delivering the truest roll possible in a premium look.”
Black Series Tour Designs putters feature Advanced Roll Technology (A.R.T.) for precise response and the truest roll possible. A.R.T. is achieved through multi-material construction using tungsten weighting, which creates a quicker, more favorable roll by moving the center of gravity back and lower in the putterhead. A urethane dampening layer is subtly placed between the carbon steel putter head and the tungsten flange, which enhances the feel at impact.
The TD Milled Face has a precise, deep milling pattern that generates consistent impact performance across the face, resulting in better feel, distance control and a smooth roll. Each putter is finished with a Deep Black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating, producing a durable, glare-free look that was added specifically in response to feedback received from the world’s best golfers.
Black Series Tour Designs putters are available in several core models, including the #2, #4, #6 and #9. The new product introduction retail price for Odyssey’s new Black Series Tour Designs putters is $269.
For more information on these products and Odyssey’s complete lineup, visit www.odysseygolf.com.
H2O Audio unveils advanced waterproof headphones and updated Interval waterproof headphone system
New High-Performance Designs Deliver Superior Sound Quality and Functionality In and Out of the Water
H2O Audio unveiled three progressive new products: the Surge Pro, H2O Audio’s Balanced Armature waterproof headphone featuring a compact design and premium sound quality; the Surge Sportwrap, an ergonomically designed neckband headphone that provides stability and comfort for active sports like running, surfing and wakeboarding; and the updated Interval Waterproof Headphone System specifically designed for Apple’s 3rd Generation iPod shuffle with built-in Surge Waterproof Headphones and convenient “Made for iPod” controls. All new products are available for purchase online at www.h20audio.com, and are scheduled to hit major retailers nationwide including Apple, Best Buy, Sports Authority and Amazon.com later this month.
“The team here continues to raise the bar in waterproof audio design and technology via our collaboration with some of the world’s finest athletes,” said John Paul Cavanaugh, CEO, H2O Audio. “These new products reinforce our commitment to provide the best waterproof headphones and accessories to meet the needs of all types of athletes.”
Precisely designed and rigorously tested, the new products reflect H2O Audio’s roots in watersports and the active lifestyle. Developed using the company’s patented waterproof technology and insight from H2O Audio’s Athlete Ambassadors including Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, and Laird Hamilton, the entire collection features 100% waterproof and sweatproof durability to withstand heavy perspiration, rinsing after active use, and submersion under water up to 12 ft.
“H2O Audio offers a great line of waterproof products and I am excited to see their progress in design and technology,” commented Michael Phelps. “I hope more people get in the pool for exercise now that they can bring their music with them.”
Source: www.h2oaudio.com
New technology helps athletes prevent dehydration and heat-related illness
With fall sports under way around the country, often in dangerously hot weather conditions, Mobile Sports, Inc. announced the official launch of iHydrate(TM), an innovative iPhone application giving athletes, parents of athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers the tools and information they need to avoid dehydration and other, more serious heat-related illnesses.
“One of the biggest challenges athletes continually face, not just in hot, humid weather, is consuming enough fluids before, during and after sports to maintain proper hydration,” says Brooke de Lench, Youth Sports Expert and Editor-in-Chief of the popular youth sports parenting website, YouthSportsParents.com and CEO and President of MSI. “iHydrate(TM) is designed to address this important problem,” says de Lench.
To help keep athletes of any age not only stay hydrated but avoid the catastrophic risks of heat-related illness or death, iHydrate(TM) is the first iPhone application to:
– provide the heat index–the apparent temperature on the basis of the current temperature and relative humidity at the user’s current location;
– display the level of heat-illness risk under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat index;
– allow parents, coaches and athletic trainers to schedule hydration reminders for before, during and after sports; and
– help facilitate the replacement of fluids lost during sports based on urine color and/or amount of weight lost.
In addition to these tools, iHydrate(TM) includes a helpful reference section, including basic information on dehydration and heat-illness prevention, signs, symptoms and treatment, and the Pre-Season Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines recently issued by the American College of Sports Medicine and seven other medical groups.
Facts about children and heat-illness
– Exertional heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable non-traumatic exertional sudden death for young athletes in the U.S.
– Dehydration is common in kids playing sports: Of kids studied at summer sports camps more than 50% were dehydrated and 25 to 30% showe
signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illness. Dehydration occurred despite the availability of water and sports drinks, frequent breaks and coaches’ encouragement to stay hydrated. Once children were dehydrated, it was nearly impossible for them to catch up.
– Dehydration can begin when an athlete loses as little as 1 percent of body weight. In a 70-pound child, that is less than 1 pound of weight lost through sweat;
– Dehydration effects performance: as little as a 2% decrease in body weight from fluid loss (e.g. 1.2 lb for a 60-lb athlete) can lead to a significant decrease in muscular strength and stamina.
“We developed iHydrate(TM) to make it much easier for parents, coaches and athletic trainers to keep kids properly hydrated and avoid dehydration and other more serious forms of heat illness,” says de Lench, “by putting new technology – an application in their hands that not only informs them about the risk of heat-related illness in real time, but gives them the tools they need to ensure proper hydration and re-hydration.”
“One of the reasons kids don’t drink enough fluids before, during and after sports, is that they forget,” notes de Lench. “Parents and coaches can use iHydrate(TM) to remind them to drink on a schedule, not just when they are thirsty.”
Source: Mobile Sports, Inc.