Soccer Stars Alex Morgan And Cobi Jones Team Up With DePuy Mitek To Kick Off National Sports Injury Prevention Program

RAYNHAM, Mass., Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DePuy Mitek, Inc., the official sports medicine sponsor of the International Association of Federation Football's 2014 FIFA World Cup™, is launching a Sports Injury Prevention Program to educate parents, coaches and young athletes about the importance of preventing sports-related injuries. The Sports Injury Prevention Program will provide information and tools -- including FIFA's 11+ -- for preventing sports-related injuries with free educational clinics in more than 15 U.S. cities and interactive online resources. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable.

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Soccer stars Alex Morgan, member of the 2012 U.S. Women's National Team that won gold at the London Olympics, and Cobi Jones, three-time FIFA World Cup participant and former Olympian, are working with the Sports Injury Prevention Program to share strategies for preventing injuries. Jones is sharing his experience in following an injury prevention program, which allowed him to play more than 160 international games for the U.S. Men's National Team and compete professionally in Europe, Brazil and the U.S. In addition, Morgan is sharing her own experience with a sports injury.

"Unfortunately, I experienced a serious injury -- a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -- my senior year of high school. After surgery and physical therapy, I was lucky to be back on the field five months later," said Morgan. "I wish I had known more about injury prevention warm-ups when I was younger. That's why I'm excited to work with DePuy Mitek to spread the word about how important sports injury prevention is for young athletes."

FIFA 11+, the cornerstone of the Sports Injury Prevention Program, is a warm-up program designed to reduce injuries among athletes aged 14 years and older. FIFA 11+ leverages the body's natural defense mechanisms to help athletes become more resistant to injuries by teaching preventive techniques -- such as how to properly jump or land. Published scientific studies have evaluated FIFA 11+'s effectiveness and found that teams performing the FIFA 11+ at least twice a week had 30-50 percent fewer injured players.(1),(2),(3)

"DePuy Mitek has a long history of sponsoring sports injury education, but this is the first time we are working to raise awareness of FIFA's 11+," said Ian Lawson, President of DePuy Mitek. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with FIFA in the coming years with educational clinics through 2013 and sponsorship of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™."

The Sports Injury Prevention Program educational clinics, which feature appearances by former and current U.S. National Team players and a local sports medicine specialist, give young soccer players and their parents and coaches a hands-on opportunity to learn more about the FIFA 11+, as well as tips for sports injury prevention and seeking appropriate medical attention for injuries.

"As one of the lead physicians for the U.S. National Teams, I know that even the most conditioned athletes experience sports injuries. Unfortunately, injuries suffered as a result of playing sports may have long-lasting consequences, such as discomfort or pain, for years to come," said Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, Director of the Santa Monica Sports Foundation and FIFA Medical Officer for the 2012 Olympics. "It's especially important that young athletes, parents and coaches put an emphasis on sports injury prevention and, if an injury occurs, seek appropriate medical attention."

For more information on sports injury prevention, including information about the FIFA 11+ techniques, visit the program's Facebook page [www.facebook.com/SportsInjuryPreventionProgram], Twitter handle [www.twitter.com/@MitekSportsMed] or YouTube channel [http://www.youtube.com/SportsInjuryPrevent1].

About DePuy Mitek, Inc.

At DePuy Mitek, Inc., we are passionate about getting patients back to their passion. As a global leader in orthopaedic sports medicine, we develop minimally invasive devices and non surgical products used in the treatment of joint injuries related to sports and physical activity. DePuy Mitek is part of DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, the largest provider of orthopaedic and neurological solutions in the world. For more information visit, www.depuysynthes.com.

SOURCE DePuy Mitek, Inc.