October 15, 2013 // Franchising.com // Almost half a million children visit the emergency room each year with a traumatic brain injury, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Football leads all sports in the occurrence of concussions among children.* Yet, despite increasing awareness of concussion dangers, a troubling survey reveals dads are comfortable sending their sons head first into possible danger on the football field.** Seventy-seven percent of all football-playing dads say tackle football is safe for children under age 12, even though more than three in five of these dads suffered a football related concussion during their days of play.
That’s why i9 Sports, the nation’s first and fastest growing youth sports league franchise with a league in our area, calls for a big time out from some accepted youth sports moves. The league offers families the i9 Sports Experience, a safer alternative where kids can learn sports without some of the dangerous play that can lead to concussions.
Talk to local families, coaches and former NFL players who support this local initiative
"Children are not physically developed enough to absorb contact without serious risk of concussion, and the possibility of brain damage is very real," says Dr. Robert Cantu, a renowned neurosurgeon, expert on youth sports safety and acclaimed author of the book Concussion and our Kids. "Youth sports have taken the wrong turn in that it’s all become so serious. People are grooming their children to be superstars, often without regard for their safety."
"Our leagues offer the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the sports without some of the dangerous risks that could lead to head injuries," says Brian Sanders, President and COO of i9 Sports. "It takes more than a team, a coach or a league to make safety changes. It takes a movement. As we see our programs grow faster than we even anticipated, we know families across the nation are on board for a safer youth sports alternative."
Come interview youth athletes, coaches and parents about the dangers of concussions and how the i9 Sports Experience is one local solution.
Talk to renowned neurosurgeon and author, Dr. Robert Cantu about the dangers of concussions in youth sports.
*American Academy of Pediatrics
** 2012 online survey of 300 dads who played tackle football at the high school level or higher, commissioned by i9 Sports
*Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
**Pediatric Radiology
***Safe Kids Coalition
****Brain Injury Association of America
Based in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, i9 Sports® is the first and fastest-growing youth sports league franchise company in the United States. With more than half a million members from New York to Hawaii, i9 Sports offers leagues, camps, and clinics for boys and girls ages 3-14 in today’s most popular team sports such as flag football, soccer, basketball and baseball.
A privately held company, i9 Sports was founded in 2003 by CEO Frank Fiume on the principle that the number one reason kids play organized sports is to have fun, not to become a draft pick. Reinventing the industry, customers enjoy the i9 Sports Experience which emphasizes fun, safety and convenience as well as teaching the value of good sportsmanship.
Named #1 Children’s Fitness Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine, i9 Sports has been ranked in their prestigious Franchise 500® issue the past six years. i9 Sports has also been listed among INC Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for the past three years and received Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 in Franchise Satisfaction Award for four years in a row.
For more information on i9 Sports, visit www.i9Sports.com . To learn more about the low investment, low overhead i9 Sports franchise model, visit www.i9Sportsfranchise.com .
SOURCE i9 Sports®
Matt DeMargel
mdemargel@i9sports.com
919.459.8164
Graham Chapman
gchapman@i9sports.com
919.459.8157
Based in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, i9 Sports® is the first and fastest-growing youth sports league franchise company in the United States.