The Jack Del Rio Foundation (JDRF) has teamed up with the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program (JSMP) and Wolfson Children’s Hospital to create the “Keeping Young Athletes in the Game” program. This program is working to place Licensed Athletic Trainers (LAT’s) into our Duval County Public Schools’ athletic programs. Until we began this initiative, some inner-city Duval County Public Schools were without the support of trained medical personnel for their athletic teams. With the growing number of injuries and medical emergencies that occur, we felt the best way to address this problem is to get LAT’s on site at our schools during practices and competitions. The JDRF has committed $80,000 over the next 2 years to support this program and help secure the safety of our young athletes. Additional supporters of this program are Nemours Children’s Clinic and Brooks Rehabilitation.

Initially, we have targeted 8 Duval county schools to receive part-time LAT’s and to have them in place by the end of this year. The ultimate goal is to have a full time LAT in all of our Duval County Public Schools within the next few years.

A 2nd endeavor of the “Keeping Young Athletes in the Game” program is to place life saving Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s) within our community recreation organizations to have on site for athletic events. Like our public school athletic programs, recreational programs have medical emergencies but often lack medical support. Having AED’s on site can literally save a life.

Prior to an organization receiving this device, the program organizers and coaches will be trained in CPR and in the use of an AED. The Jack Del Rio Foundation, the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program and Wolfson Children’s Hospital all want our children to have the best resources available to them in the event of an emergency.

If you are an organized community recreational program and have an interest in the AED grant, please contact the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program at 904-202-4332 or click on the link below to get an application.

http://www.jaxsmp.com/application-for-aed-program.php