MISSION Athletecare™ Partners with the Korey Stringer Institute to Shine a Light on the Dangers of Heat Stroke

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MISSION Athletecare™, the world's leader in thermoregulation, today announced a partnership with the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) to advance education around the prevalent issue of exertional heat stroke, especially for athletes.  With the support of KSI, MISSION has pledged its commitment and resources to heighten awareness and prevention in an effort to combat one of the leading causes of death for athletes. 

KSI was founded in the aftermath of professional football player Korey Stringer's sudden death from exertional heat stroke during training camp in August 2001.  The Institute is housed in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut and was founded to provide first-rate information, research, assistance, education and advocacy for the prevention of sudden death in sport. 

MISSION and KSI are making a pledge to tackle heat stroke head on and are encouraging athletes, coaches and schools everywhere to do the same. MISSION will donate $1 million in EnduraCool Instant Cooling products over three years to schools that implement and follow KSI's Exertional Heat Stroke Prevention Guidelines. 

The guidelines, created by the experts at KSI, include important preventative strategies, from creating condition-based activity modifications and ensuring coaching staffs have the proper medical certifications, to establishing emergency action plans specific to facilities where training and competition occurs, among other measures. To learn more, review the complete list of guidelines, and take the heat safety pledge, visit www.missionathletecare.com/HeatSafetyPledge.

"MISSION Athletecare leads the cooling technology category with EnduraCool, and I have a deep appreciation for their product development, rooted in research and field testing," said Dr. Douglas Casa, Chief Operating Officer of KSI.  "We are pleased to partner with MISSION and are committed to our shared goals, not only to further research on cooling technology, but also to spread awareness of the dangers of heat stroke and how to prevent it."

Exertional heat stroke is one of the leading causes of sudden death in sport, especially during the month of August, when athletes are training in the heat of the summer. Many cases of exertional heat stroke can be prevented with the right precautionary strategies in place.  This shared sentiment led to the formation of KSI, and today, the organization's partnership with MISSION.

"MISSION is intently focused on delivering game-changing thermoregulation technologies that help athletes maximize their performance, their health and their safety," said MISSION CEO and Founder, Josh Shaw.  "Together with KSI, our 'mission' is to educate athletes, coaches, trainers and parents on the critical dangers of overheating, while providing innovative, effective and efficient strategies that will help keep athletes safe when training and competing in the heat."

Overheating is a challenge faced by competitors at all levels, including MISSION partner and elite athlete, Serena Williams. "I know firsthand how dangerous the heat can be in training and competition – I think the temperature on the court in Australia was over 100 degrees the last two years, " said Williams. "This partnership and MISSION's pledge will bring much needed awareness and education to a very serious issue that athletes, coaches and trainers contend with every day."

The leading provider of Athletecare™ products in sporting goods, MISSION is committed to continuing to set the standard for athlete-engineered innovations.  As part of its partnership with the brand, KSI is conducting ongoing research using MISSION's EnduraCool technology.  In preliminary studies conducted at the KSI labs, in a 15-minute time trial, subjects covered approximately 15% more distance (0.15 mi) while using or wearing EnduraCool fabric versus cotton fabric, and also retained less sweat using EnduraCool versus cotton fabric.  MISSION and KSI will continue conducting and evaluating such studies in an effort to uncover insights that will inform the company's next innovation, rooted in equal parts performance and safety.

To learn more about overheating, how to prevent it and what MISSION and KSI are doing to pledge their commitment to the cause, visit www.missionathletecare.com/HeatSafetyPledge.

About MISSION:
Launched in 2009 by a group of elite, world class athletes including Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Reggie Bush, David Wright and others, MISSION has quickly become the pioneer of sports innovations for athletes.  Working hand-in-hand with its athletes, trainers, doctors and scientists, MISSION is focused on changing the game – delivering groundbreaking, innovative and technologically advanced solutions to meet the growing demands of today's athletes before, during and after competition.  The company unveiled its patented Court Grip instant traction enhancer in 2011 and made an indelible mark on the game of basketball, and most recently they unleashed the revolutionary line of EnduraCool instant cooling accessories.  The company has plans for releasing a host of new innovations in the months ahead as it continues on its quest for pioneering innovative sports technologies.  Find out about MISSION at www.missionathletecare.com and follow the brand on Twitter @MissionAthlete.

About the Korey Stringer Institute:
In August 2001 Korey Stringer, a Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman, passed away from exertional heat stroke. During Korey Stringer's five year tenure in the NFL, he earned Pro Bowl honors. From the time of Korey's death, his wife, Kelci, worked tirelessly to develop an exertional heat stroke prevention institute to honor her husband's legacy. Her efforts were brought to life together with exertional heat stroke expert Douglas Casa, Ph.D, ATC at the University of Connecticut in April 2010.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140824/139074

SOURCE MISSION Athletecare