Sports Injury Prevention Program, Sponsored By DePuy Mitek, Comes To Tampa With Soccer Star Heather Mitts

RAYNHAM, Mass., Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As an official sports medicine sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, DePuy Mitek has launched a national Sports Injury Prevention Program to educate parents, coaches and young athletes about the importance of preventing sports-related injuries. As part of the Sports Injury Prevention Program, which includes the FIFA 11+ warm-up program, DePuy Mitek is teaming up with Heather Mitts, former Olympian and FIFA World Cup™ participant, and Dr. Marc Hilgers, a local surgeon from the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, at a free educational clinic that will give young Tampa soccer players, and their parents and coaches, a hands-on opportunity to learn more about sports-related injury prevention and treatment.

"Throughout my time as a professional soccer player, I suffered numerous injuries that caused me to miss some important and potentially career-changing games," said Heather Mitts. "I don't want young players to have to miss out on any opportunities because they are injured. That's why I'm supporting the Sports Injury Prevention Program in its effort to educate players, parents and coaches on the importance of injury prevention warm-ups, such as FIFA 11+."

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

"DePuy Mitek has a long history of sponsoring sports injury education, and we are underscoring our commitment in this area by leveraging our Sports Injury Prevention Program to raise awareness of FIFA 11+ at our clinic in Tampa, just as we will at upcoming clinics in Orlando and Miami," said Ian Lawson, President of DePuy Mitek. "Through our ongoing educational efforts, including our online materials and resources, we hope to help young athletes stay on the field and off the sidelines."  

Comprehensive information on the Sports Injury Prevention Program, including videos and FIFA 11+ exercise demonstrations from Alex Morgan, member of the 2012 U.S. team that won gold at the London Olympics, and Cobi Jones, three-time FIFA World Cup™ participant and former Olympian, can be found on the program's Facebook page [www.facebook.com/SportsInjuryPreventionProgram].

Additionally, as part of the Sports Injury Prevention Program, DePuy Mitek is sponsoring free educational clinics in 16 U.S. cities. During the Tampa clinic, which will be held in conjunction with the Chargers soccer club, soccer star Heather Mitts will share injury prevention tips and techniques based on FIFA 11+. Dr. Hilgers will provide information to help the young players, parents and coaches in attendance better understand how injuries can occur and how to prevent them.

"I see a lot of sports-related injuries in my office, and I always tell my patients that an injury prevention warm-up, such as FIFA 11+, should be incorporated into weekly routines in an effort to avoid future injuries," said Dr. Hilgers. "However, some injuries are unavoidable, and if an injury does occur, it's important to seek immediate medical attention."

For more information on the Sports Injury Prevention Program, 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], or check out the FIFA 11+ website [http://f-marc.com/11plus/home/].

About DePuy Mitek
At DePuy Mitek 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.

Heather Mitts is compensated by DePuy Mitek, the sponsor of the Sports Injury Prevention Program.

The third-party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

¹ Junge A, Lamprecht M, Stamm H, Hasler H, Bizzini M, Tschopp M, Reuter H, Wyss H, Chilvers C, Dvorak J. Country-wide campaign to prevent football injuries in Swiss amateur players. Am J Sports Med 2010 Oct 17.

² Soligard T, Myklebust G, Steffen K, Holme I, Silvers H, Bizzini M, Junge A, Dvorak J, Bahr R, Andersen TE. Comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2008;337:a2469.

SOURCE DePuy Mitek