Group would like to be consulted
I agree with the concerns that The Sun's Mike Preston expressed in his column Wednesday ["Game must act: Concussions shouting warning to powers that be"]. But I don't understand why he didn't take the time to contact the sport's Baltimore-based national governing body - US Lacrosse - to get our perspective and, more importantly, learn what is being done to address this concern.
Among other things, US Lacrosse is launching a video surveillance study, in partnership with MedStar SportsHealth, to better understand the mechanism of concussion in high school girls and boys lacrosse.
US Lacrosse also has entered into a strategic alliance with ImPACT, one of the world's leading authorities on concussion management and neurocognitive baseline testing, to provide greater resources to the national lacrosse community. And US Lacrosse has established the sport's first standardized education curricula and certification programs for coaches and officials.
I'm sure it can be challenging to bang out a daily column, but it doesn't take much time to pick up the phone to call a definitive resource that happens to be right up the street.
Steve Stenersen
Baltimore Editor's note: The writer is president and chief executive of US Lacrosse.
Much being done to make lacrosse safer
First and foremost, we want to thank Mike Preston for bringing attention to the seriousness of concussions in lacrosse.
We understand his frustrations regarding this issue, but it's important to note that great strides are being made to enhance the game's safety.
US Lacrosse has been working tirelessly to proactively curb the number of injuries in the game, including concussions. US Lacrosse's Sports Science and Safety Committee, in conjunction with MedStar SportsHealth, devotes time, manpower and resources to ensure the safety of all players on the field. Here are just a few recent landmark developments:
In 2007, US Lacrosse and ImPACT launched a formal concussion-management program that offers concussion testing, education, awareness and state-of-the-art standards of care.
In February, the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment awarded a $328,000 grant to study concussions in lacrosse. The grant will support a joint research initiative between MedStar Research Institute, George Mason University, Fairfax County Public Schools and US Lacrosse to study the mechanisms of concussion and the game situations that may result in a concussion within boys and girls high school lacrosse games.
