VSHP Hosts Youth Athletic Health Conference
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Striving to promote health in school athletics, Volunteer State Health Plan (VSHP) will host a free conference for middle and high school athletes, parents and coaches on Saturday, May 10, at Bellevue Baptist Church. The event is co-sponsored by the Memphis Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).
The conference, MACH 1: Memphis Athletes Choose Health, will feature seminars led by local doctors and coaches discussing topics such as time management and gang violence.
The seminars are designed to specifically address the needs of athletes, parents and coaches. Middle and high school athletes will hear about issues such as nutrition, peer pressure and strength and conditioning, while parents attend sessions including the importance of sleep and parents’ role in motivation. Coaches will discuss strength conditioning, nutrition, hydration and injury prevention.
A topic of particular concern that will be addressed at the conference is the growing trend of student athletes using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). A recent study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse found that more than 1 million teens in the United States have used steroids or other PEDs. A 2005 Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association survey showed that 54 percent of school coaches feel that their student athletes don’t understand the long-term consequences of using PEDs.
“The health of middle and high school athletes isn’t just the responsibility of the coaches,” said Shelia Keith, manager of EPSDT, clinical improvement and community outreach for VSHP. “The success and well-being of each youth athlete is dependent on the efforts of parents, coaches, the community and the athletes themselves. This conference provides a wonderful opportunity for all these groups to gain the knowledge and tools needed to raise healthy student athletes.”
The conference also includes a special orientation conducted by MIAA representatives for eighth grade athletes and parents preparing for high school athletics.
