LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim April 2016, as Youth Sports Safety Month in the State of New
York, in conjunction with the observance of National Youth Sports Safety
Month

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in calling attention to
awareness of serious injuries which affect many New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to memorialize
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2016, as Youth Sports Safety
Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of
National Youth Sports Safety Month; and
WHEREAS, April is National Youth Sports Safety Month; more than 60
national medical and sports organizations support National Youth Sports
Safety Month, including American College of Sports Medicine, The Presi-
dent's Council on Physical Fitness and sports, and the United States
Olympic Committee; and
WHEREAS, Each year, over 20 million kids in the United States partic-
ipate in sports and almost one million suffer serious sports-related
injuries; and
WHEREAS, In most cases, sports-related injuries are preventable, yet
according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and Sage
Kids USA, more than half (62 percent) of sports injuries occur during
practice; and
WHEREAS, Sports-related injuries include: overuse and over-training
injuries, heat exhaustion, debilitating bone, muscle or tendon breaks
and tears, cardiac arrest, and head injuries; and
WHEREAS, Although sports-related injuries are serious and require
attention and awareness, concussions seem to be the most prevalent crit-
ical injury in youth athletics, with millions occurring in young
athletes every year; and
WHEREAS, Keeping sports safe requires an entire culture of injury
awareness and prevention, so adults should not ever tell their kid to
shake it off and keep playing, and kids should not hide injuries because
of fear of repercussions or a loss of playing time; and
WHEREAS, New York State should make every effort to make sports safe
for our youth; the health and well-being of the youth of the State of
New York is of paramount importance to this Legislative Body; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2016, as Youth
Sports Safety Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of National Youth Sports Safety Month; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.