MLS and U.S. Soccer to Hold First-Of-Its-Kind Medical Symposium at NSCAA Convention

January 6, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release

NEW YORK (Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015) - In an effort to remain at the forefront of player health and safety, Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer have partnered together to conduct a trailblazing Medical Symposium during the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Conference from Jan. 15-16 in Philadelphia, PA.

Medical professionals from MLS and U.S. Soccer will conduct the two-day symposium that will focus on player health and safety issues related to youth, amateur and professional soccer. The event will provide an opportunity for the soccer community to review the latest research, identify best practices, develop additional strategies for enhancing safety and reducing injuries, and chart a course to further understand soccer-related medical issues.

The second day of the symposium will be devoted specifically to concussions in soccer. Concussion identification and prevention is a priority for MLS and U.S. Soccer, both of which follow an extensive evaluation protocol and return-to-play guidelines for players diagnosed with concussions.

"The health and safety of our athletes is in the forefront of everyone's mind," said MLS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Larry Lemak. "We welcome the opportunity to work with U.S. Soccer and lend our expertise and share our knowledge with coaches at all levels at this conference."

The Symposium will bring together top professionals and researchers in sports medicine, leadership of youth and amateur soccer organizations, representatives from professional leagues and clubs, current and former players, and U.S. Soccer, MLS and individual club medical staffs.

"U.S. Soccer and MLS are committed to ensuring the health and safety of athletes of all ages, and educating our coaching leaders is an important step in that process," said U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer George Chiampas. "With over 4,000 coaches participating in the NSCAA conference annually, the symposium represents a unique opportunity to provide consistent information and education on specific key soccer-related injuries and athlete welfare."

The Symposium will include presentations by leading experts on the current state of research and areas for future research, education sessions on best practices for the management of soccer-related medical issues, and roundtable discussions with medical experts.

In May of 2014, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General Dan Flynn joined President Barack Obama and 200 sports officials, medical experts, parent activists and young athletes at the White House to participate in the Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit. The meeting was targeted at finding new ways to identify, treat and prevent serious head injuries, particularly in youth sports, and was vital in the creation of the upcoming Soccer Medical Symposium.

MLS and U.S. Soccer Medical Symposium Lecture Schedule

All lectures located in CC 108B

Thursday, January 15

Time (ET) Topic Presenters

12:45 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Lower Extremity Injuries in the Sport of Soccer John Gallucci Jr., MLS Medical Coordinator

1:45 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Emergency Action Plan "The Coaches Role" Dr. Larry Lemak, MLS Medical Director

Dr. George Chiampas, U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. "Overtraining Syndrome" Dr. Margot Putukian, U.S. Soccer and MLS Primary Care Sports Medicine

4:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Cardiac update on athlete screening and wellness for coaches Dr. Matthew Martinez, MLS Cardiac Consultant

4:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Efficacy of the FIFA 11+ in Men's College Soccer Holly Silvers MPT, Director of Research Santa Monica Sports Medicine Foundation FIFA Center of Excellence

Friday, January 16

Time (ET) Topic Presenters

9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Incidence & Mechanisms associated with concussion injuries in soccer "Coaches awareness of the injury" Dr. Ruben Echemendia, U.S. Soccer and MLS Neuropsychologist

9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. "Best Practice" for recognizing, evaluating and management of concussion injuries "From the sideline to return to participation" Dr. Margot Putukian, U.S. Soccer and MLS Primary Care Sports Medicine

10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Return to participation process post-concussion injury John Gallucci Jr., MLS Medical Coordinator

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Panel Discussion - Coaches, players and experts share their experiences and looking to the future TBD

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