Lacrosse players understand that having a unified and collaborative team is one of the keys to on-field success, and four medical professionals recently explained how that same team approach can be a strong asset in off-field healthcare for athletes. 

Since 2015, all high school students in Maryland have been required to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator) in order to graduate. It’s a state requirement, passed into law by Martin O’Malley, who was the governor at the time.

The following article is part of a content partnership with TrueSport, a positive youth sports movement powered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). TrueSport has partnered with more than 20 sport NGBs to promote a positive culture of youth sport with expert content and programming.

USA Lacrosse is excited for the 2022 lacrosse season and is dedicated to player, coach, and official’s safety, both on and off the field. We encourage organizations to follow strategies that help keep everyone healthy throughout the season. 

USA Lacrosse continues to strongly encourage vaccination against COVID-19 for eligible individuals and recommends using appropriate ways to reduce the risk of transmission. These include wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth when in public, hand washing, and social distancing whenever possible. 

SPARKS, Md. — In an effort to help keep youth players as safe as possible, all new and renewing coach members of USA Lacrosse will be required to complete an online course as part of the organization's abuse prevention training program. The new requirement goes into effect on July 1, 2022. Criminal background checks, completed every two years, have already been a requirement for USA Lacrosse coach members since 2018.

The following article is part of a content partnership with TrueSport, a positive youth sports movement powered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). TrueSport has partnered with more than 20 sport NGBs to promote a positive culture of youth sport with expert content and programming.

Returning to sport from illness of any kind can be tricky, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s only gotten more difficult. But even a simple cold or stomach bug can leave an athlete sidelined without a clear idea of when it’s safe or advisable to return to sport. 

Dr. Daniel Herman, lead investigator of a three-year study that examined the effect of protective headgear use on concussion incidence in female high school players, provided the first detailed presentation of the research findings during the 2021 USA Lacrosse Sports Medicine Symposium, presented by MedStar Health.

Herman’s 16-minute presentation is available in its entirety below.

USA Lacrosse, the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, has entered a new three-year partnership with Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, to serve as the Official AED provider of USA Lacrosse and the U.S. National Teams. 

As part of this partnership, USA Lacrosse members will receive discounted pricing on Stryker’s AEDs (automated external defibrillators), which include the LIFEPAK CR2 and HeartSine devices.

The importance of mental health and mental performance for athletes of all ages was the focus of the recent SheCompetes webinar hosted by USA Lacrosse. Normalizing the conversations in this space and viewing mental health as just another tool in an athlete’s tool kit was one of the main points of emphasis among the presenters.