Youth Sports Heroes of the Month: Dan and Susan Farren (Rohnert Park, CA.); Ray Antonopoulos & Jeff Meisner (West Newbury, MA)

Submitted by Douglas E. Abrams, J.D. on Fri, 05/31/2013 - 13:40. | comments

In a Cal Ripkin Baseball game on April 13, eight-year-old Matthew Henry was hit in the chest by a pitch and left the batter's box on his way to first base. He collapsed after a few steps, reportedly the victim of commotio cordis ("agitation of the heart," in Latin).

The value of having trained medical personnel and an automated external defibrillator nearby was never more apparent then in this month's Youth Sports Heroes blog honoring two pairs of Good Samaritans who, in an 11-day span, saved the lives of an 8-year-old baseball player and a mom watching her son play baseball.

Doug Abrams Receives USA Hockey's Excellence in Safety Award

University of Missouri law professor, and MomsTEAM expert, Doug Abrams is the 2013 recipient of the Excellence in Safety Award presented by USA Hockey, the sport's national governing body. He is the first lawyer and law professor to receive the award.

Douglas E. Abrams, J.D.

Youth Sports Heroes of the Month: Andrew Austen (Radnor, Pa.), Whitney Foster (Louisville, Ky.), and Avery Ingram (Eugene, Ore.)

Submitted by Douglas E. Abrams, J.D. on Mon, 04/01/2013 - 12:45. | comments

Andrew Austen, Whitney Foster and Avery Ingram are different from one another in many ways. They live in different parts of the country, play different high school sports, and maintain different training regimens. They likely have never met one another, but they are joined by a common thread – all three have overcome disabilities to play on teams with their friends and classmates. Participation in sports enriches not only their lives, but also the lives of coaches, teammates and opponents whose respect they have earned for their determination and talent.

Andrew Austen, Whitney Foster and Avery Ingram are different from one another in many ways. They live in different parts of the country, play different high school sports, and maintain different training regimens. They likely have never met one another, but they are joined by a common thread – all three have overcome disabilities to play on teams with their friends and classmates.

Youth Sports Heroes of the Month: Lewis Winter (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Nicholas Penberthy (East Amherst, N.Y.)

This month's youth sports heroes are giving the children of migrant farm workers in Florida and inner-city children in Buffalo a chance to play sports.

Youth Sports Hero of the Month: Maria Pepe (Hoboken, New Jersey)

In sports, as in other areas of American life, the path to equality often awaits someone with courage to stand alone, supported perhaps only by family and friends, when acceptance of the status quo might seem easier. Maria Pepe's entire Little League baseball career lasted only three games, but her courage remade American youth sports.

.

Community Sports