{"id":13041,"date":"2010-04-20T13:00:48","date_gmt":"2010-04-20T17:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=13041"},"modified":"2011-08-17T15:17:29","modified_gmt":"2011-08-17T19:17:29","slug":"research-institute-opened-in-honor-of-nfl-star-who-died-from-heat-stroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2010\/04\/research-institute-opened-in-honor-of-nfl-star-who-died-from-heat-stroke\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Institute Opened in Honor of NFL Star Who Died From Heat Stroke"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"<p>Korey<\/a>
Korey Stringer. Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Connecticut Neag School of Education, with the support of the National Football League and Gatorade, is opening a new institute on the Storrs campus to further research, education, and advocacy for the prevention of heat stroke and sudden death in sport.<\/p>\n

The institute is named in honor of Minnesota Vikings All-Pro lineman Korey Stringer, whose death in 2001 from complications due to heat stroke during a pre-season training camp brought national attention to the dangers of heat stroke among athletes.<\/p>\n

A formal announcement of the creation of the Korey Stringer Institute<\/a> will take place on Friday, April 23, at the start of the second day of the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.<\/p>\n

The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Kelci Stringer, Korey Stringer\u2019s widow, who has dedicated her life to honoring her husband\u2019s legacy through the pursuit of a national research institute in his name. She chose UConn because its Department of Kinesiology<\/a> is a national leader in studying heat and hydration issues related to athletes and the physically active. UConn kinesiology professor Douglas J. Casa, the institute\u2019s lead researcher, is one of the country\u2019s preeminent experts in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like Korey\u2019s legacy to be about life and saving lives,\u201d says Stringer, who will serve as the institute\u2019s chief executive officer. \u201cI don\u2019t know a better way to do that than to offer sports professionals and laypeople alike a go-to resource they can use to find the latest information, tools, and educational opportunities they need to help us prevent heat stroke and sudden death in athletes in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"<p>Douglas<\/a>
Douglas Casa, chief operating officer of the Korey Stringer Institute. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cExertional heat stroke is one of the leading causes of sudden death in sport,\u201d says Casa, the KSI\u2019s chief operating officer and director of athletic training education<\/a> at UConn. \u201cDuring certain times of the year, it is likely the<\/em> leading cause of death. Yet it is almost entirely preventable. With greater focus on hydration, phase-in programs to allow players\u2019 bodies to adjust in hot weather, and access to proper on-site medical care, instances of heat-related illnesses can be reduced.\u201d<\/p>\n

The institute was made possible through important financial support provided by the National Football League and Gatorade. It comes at a time when statistics show that death from exertional heat stroke is more prevalent than ever. There have been more heat stroke-related deaths in sport in the past five-year span than in any other five-year span in the past 35 years, Casa says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I felt like Korey\u2019s death was very random,\u201d Kelci Stringer says. \u201cBut now I see it is not. Heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke unfortunately continue to be problematic in sports and need to be eradicated. I strongly believe that with proper information, those responsible for our young athletes can be fully educated as to how to provide proper care, so that these kinds of tragic heat-related illnesses and deaths can be prevented in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

James M. Gould, Korey Stringer\u2019s NFL agent, was also instrumental in the decision to locate the institute at UConn. Gould, who has become an outspoken advocate for greater awareness of the dangers of heat stroke and sudden death in sport since Korey Stringer\u2019s death, is chairman of the KSI\u2019s Board of Advisors.<\/p>\n

\"<p>Korey<\/a>
Korey Stringer. Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI remember thinking to myself on the day that Korey passed, that a loss such as this should never have happened,\u201d Gould said. \u201cHere was a young man, a beautiful friend, father, husband, and son dead from simply living his passion of playing football. Certainly, this could have been prevented. Nine years later, after many turns in the road, an opportunity to do just that has come. I know Korey is with us today, looking down from above with that big smile on his face saying: \u201cThank you for keeping our future athletes safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Korey Stringer was a 27-year-old offensive right tackle for the Vikings when he died on Aug. 1, 2001 during a preseason training camp in Mankato, Minn. He was the first professional football player to die from complications due to heat stroke in the NFL\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

A native of Warren, Ohio and a former college All-American for Ohio State University, Stringer\u2019s powerful blocking helped his teammate Robert Smith rush for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Stringer was widely popular with fans and active in the Minneapolis community. The Vikings retired his jersey \u2013 number 77 \u2013 during the 2001 season.<\/p>\n

Korey Stringer\u2019s death prompted many NFL teams to adjust their pre-season training protocols. Teams now train in lighter uniforms, water and shade is made readily available, and a team doctor is at practice at all times.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe health and wellness of players at all levels of competition is of great importance to the NFL,\u201d says Gary M. Gertzog, senior vice president of business affairs for the NFL. \u201cWe are pleased to be working with the Korey Stringer Institute to ensure that athletes stay healthy as they push themselves to be the best.\u201d Gertzog is a member of the KSI Board of Advisors.<\/p>\n

The Korey Stringer Institute will work to increase awareness, education, and advocacy about the proper precautions necessary to avoid heat stroke among organized sports teams and the general public by providing state-of-the-art information and resources through its website. The institute also will offer its services to athletic trainers, team physicians, athletic directors, coaches, equipment manufacturers, parents, school principals, and others to create proper protocols, policies, and emergency action plans to prevent sudden death in sport, especially as it relates to heat stroke. It will provide a comprehensive research database on current information related to sudden death and heat stroke in sport, and will help set health and safety standards for coaches, trainers, and equipment manufacturers.<\/p>\n

[yframe url=’http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JGeRtZGHakM’]<\/p>\n

\"<p>Douglas<\/a>
Douglas Casa, left, associate professor of kinesiology, conducting a research project on dehydration in athletes. Photo by Sean Flynn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Korey Stringer Institute is committed to serving the needs of active people and athletes at all levels \u2013 youth, high school, college, professional, and recreational athletes \u2013 people who are physically active and those that supervise and care for these individuals,\u201d says Casa, who knows firsthand the potential dangers of heat stroke. He suffered an exertional heat stroke during the final lap of a 10K road race in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1985, and has since dedicated his career to promoting awareness and preventing such incidents from happening to others.<\/p>\n

Exertional heat stroke is a medical emergency involving life-threatening hyperthermia, where an individual\u2019s body temperature reaches 104\u02da or higher. Symptoms include confusion, combativeness, nausea, collapse, and unconsciousness. Many factors can contribute to heat stroke including intensity of exercise, hydration, heat of day, inability of the body to adjust to exertion in high temperatures, and barriers to cooling such as protective equipment, clothing, fever, medications, and underlying medical conditions. If not immediately treated, heat stroke can lead to organ failure and death. However, with prompt and aggressive medical treatment \u2013 such as immediate immersion in a cold water tub \u2013 heat stroke patients can survive and return to sport without any long-term medical complications, Casa says.<\/p>\n

Scott Paddock, director of Gatorade sports marketing, says, \u201cOur partnership with the Korey Stringer Institute, UConn, and the NFL represents Gatorade\u2019s ongoing commitment to keeping athletes safe on the field of play by meeting their hydration and nutrition needs. For more than 40 years, Gatorade has conducted or funded hundreds of studies aimed at helping athletes stay safe and perform at their best. As a founding partner in the Korey Stringer Institute, we are committed to educating as many parents, coaches, and players as possible to help reduce the number of heat-related injuries and deaths that occur each year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scottie Graham, director of player marketing and engagement for the NFL Players Association, says the founding of the institute \u201cis an important step in ensuring that athletes protect themselves from the dangers of heat stroke. The institute is a tremendous way to remember Korey Stringer\u2019s legacy and to help save players\u2019 lives. Korey is more than a teammate. He is my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UConn Foundation has created a fund under the Neag School of Education to support the new institute. Those interested in supporting the Korey Stringer Institute may write a check to the University of Connecticut Foundation, with the words \u2018Korey Stringer Institute\u2019 on the memo line, and mail it to the UConn Foundation, 2390 Alumni Drive, U-3206, Storrs, CT 06269 or go to the Foundation website<\/a> and follow the prompts.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Korey Stringer Institute, go to the institute’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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