DOWNERS GROVE, IL (May 15, 2016) – Joga Bonito Soccer, an elite youth soccer club based in Downers Grove, IL, has partnered with King-Devick Test in association with Mayo Clinic (K-D Test) to provide concussion screening for all team players beginning with the fall 2016 season.
K-D Test is a quick, accurate and reliable concussion screening tool that only takes two minutes to administer on the sidelines. Athletes read single digit numbers (Rapid Number Naming) displayed on an iPad, Android or Surface tablet following suspected head injury. Results are then compared to a pre-season baseline score. Any worsening of performance in time and/or errors indicates the athlete should be removed-from-play for further evaluation. The tablet-based test can be administered by trained parents, coaches and medical professionals to aid with the detection of any concussion – suspected, unwitnessed and/or unreported.
According to Joga Bonito Director of Coaching Dan Campione, the ease with which K-D Test can be administered and its ability to track injury patterns throughout the course of a year, or several years, were main drivers of the decision.
“First and foremost, we want to keep our kids safe,” said Campione. “K-D Test is an immediate and accurate in-game or practice concussion screening tool. But the K-D Test technology also provides us with the tracking tools necessary to see what types of plays tend to cause injury or what kids tend to be more concussion prone. From there we can adjust our training to reduce the threat of injury.”
Joga Bonito Soccer does not promote heading or physical play in order to limit players’ exposure to serious injury.
Added Campione, “Our kids don’t have to be good headers because they play with their feet.”
“It’s exciting to work with youth organizations such as Joga Bonito Soccer Club that prioritize sports safety,” said Samantha Figueroa, vice president of business development at K-D Test. ”By adding K-D Test to existing concussion protocols, we can better promote concussion awareness and recognition to coaches, parents and athletes and help preserve the health and well-being of youth athletes.”
Joga Bonito Soccer, whose club name was inspired by Nike’s early 2000’s ad campaign of the same name meaning “play beautiful” in Portuguese, was formed in 2011 with the philosophy that player development was more important than winning. The elite soccer club focuses on individual players and individual skills that translate to success across all types and styles of play as athletes grow up.
