Tyyre Burks
Founder and CEO, Players Health

A vision realized

As a former professional athlete, I’ve faced all of the highs and lows that come with dedicating yourself to sports. The grueling training sessions, the pressure to perform for your team, the constant threat of injuries—all of these are part of an athlete’s journey. 

I remember the sleepless nights before my games, the physical and mental challenge of pushing through my physical limits, and the relentless pursuit of excellence to make each moment on the field better than my last. 

Yet, I also remember that feeling of victory following hard practices, the camaraderie with my teammates, and the invaluable life lessons learned on the field. These experiences have shaped who I am today and have driven me and my new team at Players Health to create something that can truly make a difference in the lives of young athletes.

I know firsthand how important sports are in shaping young lives, teaching discipline, teamwork, and resilience. However, there’s recent data that shows kids are likely to stop playing and miss out on these important experiences during formative parts of their lives. According to a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, almost 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13, citing overtraining, injuries, and burnout as primary reasons. 

When we founded Players Health in 2012, our vision was to create a safer and more supportive environment for athletes at all levels. And over the past decade, we've dedicated ourselves to this mission, developing innovative solutions to protect and empower athletes. Today, I am thrilled to announce the launch of our latest innovation: the Players Health Safety Hub.

It really pains me to see so many kids stop playing sports at 13 years old, missing out on invaluable experiences like I had. With youth sports facing unprecedented challenges, including rising injury rates and burnout, the need for comprehensive, accessible safety measures has never been greater. The Safety Hub represents a significant leap forward in how we approach athlete safety and risk management, and is one of our many solutions we’re building to fix this problem.

Introducing the Safety Hub

The Players Health Safety Hub is a revolutionary platform designed to transform how sports organizations manage risk and promote athlete well-being. 

Now available to Players Health customers, this user-friendly approach to sports insurance and program management offers an array of tools and resources to help coaches, parents, and administrators create the safest possible environments for young athletes.

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Here’s what makes the Safety Hub a game-changer:

Comprehensive athlete safety library

With the Safety Hub, you gain access to one of the largest databases of athlete safety education in the market today. This includes videos, guides, and templates that help program managers and coaches enhance athlete well-being. Whether it’s injury prevention or mental health support, these resources are designed to equip your organization with the knowledge needed to foster a safe sports environment.

‍Example: A soccer coach uses the Safety Hub to access a series of videos on concussion prevention and management. These resources help the coach train the team on how to recognize concussion symptoms and the steps to take if a player is injured, significantly reducing the risk of long-term harm.

Proprietary Athlete Safety score

Our interactive quiz provides organizations with data-driven, actionable recommendations within minutes. This proprietary Athlete Safety Score helps you quickly identify areas of improvement and develop strategies to keep athletes safe and supported.

Example: A gymnastics club takes the Athlete Safety Score quiz and discovers that their warm-up routines are insufficient for preventing injuries. The platform offers specific exercises and protocols to improve their warm-up regimen, helping to reduce injury rates among their young athletes.

Compliance that isn’t complicated

Compliance can be a headache, but the Safety Hub simplifies it all. Our platform seamlessly connects with sports registration partners via an open API, streamlining the compliance processes necessary for smooth operation.

Example: A youth basketball league uses the integrated compliance platform to automatically sync player registration data with their insurance provider. This ensures that all participants are covered under the league’s insurance policy, reducing administrative burdens and ensuring compliance with safety regulations.

Players’ Health preferred partner network

We’ve built an extensive network of Players Health-trusted partners ready to assist your organization you get immediate access to when registering for the Safety Hub. From setting up response protocols to executing resolution plans, these partners help establish the highest standards of safety and care for young athletes.

Example: After an incident at a local baseball game, the league contacts one of Players Health’s preferred partners. The partner helps the league set up an immediate response protocol, provides medical support, and works with the league to develop a long-term safety strategy to prevent future incidents.

Best-in-class customer and coach support

You can explore the platform independently or tap into our dedicated team of athlete safety specialists ready to help you. This best-in-class support ensures that expert help is always just a click away.

‍Example: A cheerleading coach new to risk management reaches out to Players Health’s support team. The coach receives personalized guidance on implementing a comprehensive safety program, including tailored advice on reducing the risk of common injuries in cheerleading.

Why the Safety Hub matters now

The launch of the Safety Hub comes at a critical time for youth sports. A 2024 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the significant challenges facing young athletes today. Injuries, overtraining, and burnout are contributing to a high dropout rate, with 70% of kids leaving organized sports by age 13. Moreover, nearly 1 in 10 youth athletes experience burnout, and as many as 35% experience overtraining.

These statistics are troubling, but they also reinforce the importance of the work we’re doing at Players Health. Sports should be a source of joy, growth, and lifelong health benefits for young athletes. The Safety Hub is our response to these challenges, providing a solution that addresses the root causes of injuries and burnout.

By equipping sports organizations with the tools and resources they need to create safer environments, we’re helping to reverse the trend of early dropout and ensuring that more kids can enjoy the benefits of organized sports. 

Join us in revolutionizing youth sports safety

At Players Health, we are committed to revolutionizing the way we approach athlete safety and well-being. The launch of the Safety Hub is a testament to this mission. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive in the sports they love, free from the fear of injury or burnout, so they can focus on the game they love.

I invite you to explore the Safety Hub and see for yourself how it can make a difference in your sports organization. Whether you’re a coach, parent, or administrator, the Safety Hub offers the tools and resources you need to create a safer, more supportive environment for your athletes.

Take the next step

The future of youth sports is bright, but it requires our collective effort to ensure that it remains safe and accessible for all athletes. Visit the Safety Hub today at www.playershealth.com/safety-hub to learn more about its features and start building a safer sports program for your athletes.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the world of youth sports.

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