
WE ARE THE SPORTS INSTITUTE AT UW MEDICINE
We hold a fundamental belief in the power of play. We also know that the sports and activities we love have risks. How can we make sports safer and get more people on the field, in the game and to the finish line?
We work to expand participation and safety in sports.
Movement, play and sports: What are the benefits?
The sports and activities children love often come with risks. But sports, movement and play also yield abundant benefits. They can enhance the physical, mental and social health of children today and long into the future.
Legislating Safe Return to Play
The Institute was largely inspired by the personal story of Zackery Lystedt, a Washington teenager who returned to play after suffering a concussion in a football game, and was treated for major head injuries at UW Medicine’s Harborview Medical Center. Our advocacy helped lead to the Zackery Lystedt Law, which regulates athletes’ return to play after a suspected concussion. It was first passed in Washington, and quickly adopted by all 50 states.
Happenings

The Sports Institute at UW Medicine Announces New Director and Name Change
The Sports Institute at UW Medicine, formerly the UW Medicine Sports Health and Safety Institute, has announced that Dr. Samuel Browd has become the new director of the institute.
The Sports Institute at UW Medicine Announces New Director and Name Change
“The Sports Institute has a unique role within the sports safety community thanks to its position within UW Medicine and its deep bench of experts with wide-ranging experience,” said Browd. “There’s no question: The Sports Institute can transform the current approach to sports safety and become a world leader in helping people to lead active, healthy lifestyles. Our new name reflects our ambition, commitment and deep desire for building partnerships across sectors.”

Youth football concussion rate is 5%, study finds
Research from The Sports Institute at UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s found concussion rates were higher than previously reported.
Youth football concussion rate is 5%, study finds
Published in The Journal of Pediatrics, the study summarizes key findings from data collected during two 10-week seasons of the Northwest Junior Football League. Licensed athletic trainers from Seattle Children’s treated and recorded concussions at league games, which enabled researchers to characterize the injuries’ number and factors that influenced risk.

Sports Specialization: What You Need to Know
Balanced advice on the risks and benefits of young athletes focusing on a single sport year-round.
Sports Specialization: What You Need to Know
Dr. Emily Kraus writes that as youth sports have evolved over the years, many children focus intensively on a single sport all year in an effort to increase performance. However, when young athletes sample multiple sports, they may lower their risk of injury.

7 Benefits of Exercise
Mounting evidence supports the surprising benefits of exercise, from boosting mood and brain health to improving the way our bodies burn fat.
7 Benefits of Exercise
Scientists are learning that exercise is, actually, medicine. “There is no pill that comes close to what exercise can do,” says Claude Bouchard, director of the human genomics laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.
When we say athlete,
We’re talking about you.

Partner Spotlight
Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI)
Part of one of the world’s leading pediatric specialty health centers, SCRI brings together the best minds in pediatric research to set new standards of pediatric care and find new cures for childhood diseases.