52 The Queens Courier • kids & education • SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com s kids & education How to keep young athletes safe and strong Playing sports is great for kids. It teaches them the importance of teamwork, helps them stay physically active and creates positive habits that last a lifetime. An injury, however, can sideline young athletes for the season - or longer. A recent study by Safe Kids Worldwide identified measures that athletes, coaches and parents can take to prevent serious injuries so kids can stay in the game. A sports injury sends a young athlete to the emergency room every 25 seconds in the U.S., according to the report “Game Changers.” Made possible with support from Johnson & Johnson, the report takes an in-depth look at data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to explore the types of injuries sidelining young athletes. “We uncovered some surprising and disturbing data about how often our kids are being injured playing sports,” says Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “But we also found some inspiring stories from people and programs that are making a marked difference and helping kids learn how to play smart, strong and safe.” A few of the most eyeopening findings of the report were: • The most common types of injuries in 2012 were strains or sprains (33 percent), fractures (18 percent), contusions and abrasions (16 percent), and concussions (12 percent). • The most commonly injured body parts were ankle (15 percent), head (14 percent), finger (12 percent), knee (9 percent) and face (7 percent). • While it may not be surprising that the sport with the highest concussion rate is football, wrestling and ice hockey have the second and third highest concussion rates, respectively. • In sports played by both boys and girls, female athletes were more likely to report concussions than boys. Safe Kids recommends communities, coaches, parents and athletes adopt four key strategies to help reduce sports-related injuries: • Get educated and then share your knowledge. Many parents and young athletes dealing with a sports injury say they wish they had known sooner about sports injury prevention resources. Anyone interested in staying at the top of their game can attend a Safe Kids sports clinic or go to www.safekids.org to learn more. • Teach children how to prevent injury, including staying hydrated, warming up with exercises and stretching, protecting injury-prone areas like pitching arms and knees, and getting plenty of rest between games and throughout the year. • Make sure kids know not to suffer in silence. Injured athletes may not report how they’re feeling because they’re worried they will let down their team, coach or parents if they ask to sit out a game or in practice. In reality, speaking up about an injury can help ensure the child suffers no serious, long-term effects - and can return to play sooner. • Half of coaches who responded to a 2012 Safe Kids survey admitted they’d been pressured by a parent or athlete to keep an injured child in the game. Support coaches when they make injury-prevention decisions that protect the wellbeing of the athlete. Courtesy BPT NUTRIENTS KIDS NEED FOR HEALTHY VISION The struggle at the dinner table between parents and their picky eaters isn’t uncommon. Add in a food jag, when children fixate on a particular food and don’t want to eat anything else, and the struggle turns to worry. While many parents worry that their children aren’t getting the right nutrients for proper overall growth, many also overlook the specific need of vitamins and nutrients for eye health. Now’s the time to help children make food choices that are healthy and provide the right nutrients for their eye health. While carrots are a no-brainer when it comes to providing beta carotene (pro vitamin A) for healthy vision, a slew of other nutrients are necessary for eye health, including vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin and the omega-3s DHA and EPA. If you have a picky eater, try sneaking in foods that are rich in these eye-healthy nutrients. Dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, collards and turnip greens), eggs, broccoli, peas and corn are super stars when it comes to providing lutein and zeaxanthin. Fatty fish provide the omega- 3s DHA and EPA. Oils, wheat germ and peanuts are loaded with vitamin E. Registered dietitian and author, Elizabeth Somer, provides ideas on how to sprinkle in these nutrients into everyday meals. • Whip steamed chard or spinach into mashed potatoes to make a healthy and eye-catching dish for your kids that is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Green mashed potatoes, anyone? • Grate carrots and add them to pasta sauce to give it a boost of beta carotene. • Barring any nut allergies, blend peanut butter, wheat germ and a bit of honey to use as a fruit dip or sandwich spread. The peanuts and wheat germ add a kick of vitamin E. • If your kids won’t eat fish to get their fill of omega-3s, look for foods, beverages and supplements fortified with fish oil or a vegetarian source of DHA from algae. Courtesy BPT Have kids in school? This meeting may be for you BY MELISA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com A town hall meeting will be held in Bayside next week to discuss registration changes to a controversial school tax relief program. The state’s STAR program provides a partial school tax exemption for most primary residences in which homeowners and their spouses make less than $500,000 combined. But a recent audit by the state comptroller’s office found the STAR system rife with fraud and abuse. Findings showed nearly 20 percent of exemptions from January 2010 to July 2011 were given by local assessors to ineligible residents. The erroneous handouts cost the state $13 million that fiscal year, according to the audit. To thwart the problem, a new law requires all homeowners who receive the basic exemption to register with the state’s Tax Department for ongoing benefits. The need for renewal does not apply to seniors or those who receive enhanced STAR benefits. The change also does not affect current year exemptions. Homeowners will not need to re-apply every year. Those seeking more information can attend an October 2 informational meeting hosted by Assemblymember Nily Rozic. The town hall will take place at 209-15 Horace Harding Expressway from 7 to 9 p.m. There will be representatives on hand from multiple state and city agencies, as well as Chinese and Korean translators. “Queens families depend on this tax relief program, and maintaining it is a priority,” Rozic said. “Protecting the STAR program from fraud allows these savings to continue to help families keep more money in their pockets.” To register with the state’s Tax Department, which monitors eligibility, call 518-457-2036 or go to https://www8.tax.ny.gov/STRP/strpStart.
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