It will take at least 10 - 20 years to build these industries up to speed, to cover every sport event in schools, recreational and competitive programs alike. The tragedy for all of youth sports programs, parents, kids and referees is an event can occur at any time. If your organization does not put athlete sport safety first, you have to consider if they are also putting your own safety at risk. 

Q: Can professional sports events start without Emergency Medical personnel, Athletic Trainers, Team Doctors on-site?
A: No.

So, why do youth sports programs sacrifice the safety of their personnel and student-athletes for the sake of saving money in the budget?

On May 7, 1997, the day I learned about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) as a 15 year old growing young man. I learned you could die playing sports. We keep Matthew Tennyson Wanke spirit, intangibles of effort, the kindness, integrity, friendship, love of sport and combine that with my vision for sport safety in the future - when working with our partners. We strive to help your athletes thrive through fundraising, sponsorship and support to help youth student-athletes learn about career fields available other than being a pro athlete. The chance for success is 99.7% in something other than a pro  athlete, so please partner with us so we can lead kids to industries they'll love so they'll strive to complete school and build their own health and wellness, sports medicine or healthcare team.

We consider the possibilities for updating supplies and providing partners with supportive event safety programs so that partners can trust they are prepared appropriately for any recreational or competitive event.

#makeanassist #pennyaday just $3.65 towards our program helps support underprivileged youth sports programs with sports medicine supplies.

See, a lot of times other people make us angry. They really get our goat. They make us want to react to their chaos. But we don't have to make an immediate response. We can wait. And it is within the waiting period where you can turn tragedy into triumph. What if, on the other side of friction, was a best friend. A dude who loves the same NBA team and video games. A would be friend, that if not for living on the other side of the neighborhood, is an enemy. What if, before you acted on emotion, before you took action without giving yourself breath, life, justice, freedom - you asked yourself: where in my body is my "emotional control"? did I breathe yet?

I bet you didn't realize that your breathing is in your control. While you may have the joyous experience of breath daily, freely, much of the time in life, we are not even aware that our breath is short. That's what high stress can do - it can take your breath away. The guys who show up in the brightest of lights, when the times are the toughest always take a deep breath or two before the next play.

What if you became more aware that breathing could influence decision making On AND Off the court, field or sideline? Would you breathe in bigger when stressed in life?  Would you avoid the chaos and fall into a series of meditative breaths to calm your mind, body and spirit? I tend to believe that many poor decisions are made when student-athletes are responsive and reactive in negatively perceived situations. The other person, the person that "made you mad", is not your enemy. When you stop breathing, you feed into the ego who says you must win in this one v one battle called life.

But when you actually roll the dice in real life, expending action from emotions without breath, you take the risk at pulling the trigger twice - potentially hurting or killing someone now and trading your entire future self of desired experiences, opportunities and a world of beauty that's out there, for what many would call, a stupid altercation.

If you read this, I hope you will join us in a daily series of deep meditative breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, to help you prepare calming your mind, easing body tension and inspiring your soul for a positive day.

#makeanassist #pennyaday #teamassistprogram #eq #emotionalintelligence #breathing #meditative #meditativeexercise  #exercise

To do or not to do? To take or to give? To steal or to pay? To protest peacefully or riot? To teach or to manipulate? Which one is you? How do you make decisions? Is it random or are you consistent with your words and actions?

The affect of knowing I could control my temper outbursts was a shock to me, when I learned at the age of 30 that if I thought about two simple words placed next to each other, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), I could  trick my brain into calming itself. How? I take a breath. Deep breath 4 seconds in through the nose and a deep exhale 4 seconds through the mouth.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to utilize the moment in between DECISION and ACTION in order to make the best decision in that specific moment. You want the RESULTS of the DECISION to be in your favor. It is in THIS MOMENT where you MUST find the WORDS to share your message. YOUR WORDS are YOUR POWER. Please share this message - we need to use our words in each of those moments to create decisive actions that peacefully, respectfully and with united measures to mitigate any and all discrimination and racism in our world.

I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying everyone can do it every time. Some things cause outrage. Watching Mr. George Perry Floyd's passing hurt me to a core. Mainly because my goal with every one of my clients everyday is to help them breath. I don't discriminate my work based on skin color or mass of human body.  Now, in times of coronavirus, everyday I am especially in-tune with my clients need for breath, seeing as we have to wear a mask. Every Single Day, I ask my clients, at least 2 times if they are breathing ok. And every time I ask that question, I get sad for Mr. George Floyd's life, his family and those who knew him.

So, as I was saying, if the cop would have had some type of EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE the conversation, assumptions and outcome would have been different. Mr. Floyd would be alive, the cops would be working the streets and maybe a positive video goes viral.

#1love #makeanassist #youthsports #learnup  #blm #powerinone

How much of the monies goes to concussion baseline monitoring and AED acquisition?
Are kids playing time equal or does MORE MONEY equal more ATTENTION?
What lessons are being taught implementing this model of sport?

You see - it is so hard to identify the overall costs of these questions, to the organization and the student-athlete development, so we wanted to look at other ways to create a sports organization program. One model we came up with is the "Play to Stay" model.

Implementing a  "Play to Stay" model

You see - no professional sports league runs an event without sports medicine, safety and technology being on-site. Why? Because it's mandatory.

You see - the "Play to Stay" model directly benefits both the sports organization and the student-athletes welfare. Here's how. The focus with the "Play to Stay" model is the student-athlete who maintains two responsibilities: Stay in School and Stay out of Trouble. The student-athletes maintain their focus on their extracurricular activities by participating on a team and being united in sport with their friends and family.

The sports organization creates partnerships and fundraising that contributes to their mission and the students within their program. Minimal standard dues from the families who can afford it and for those who can't putting together brand ambassador teams who contribute little at a time sharing the program, values and opportunity to as many people as possible. The "Play to Stay" model becomes the community voice for youth sports programming, development and oversight.

The sports organization delivers sponsorships and partnerships that allow them to afford the cost of running a genuine sports club including sports medicine and safety, including technology.  
The sports organization opens doors for coaches and athletes alike to gain emotionally engaging experiences in safe coordinated environments.

The coach is able to support and lead every player from practice through to games.
The coach is able to keep kids safe by ensuring they will play when they stay in school and stay out of trouble.
The coach is able to deliver leadership in all aspects of sport: winning, losing and participating in a team family culture.

This blog was written by Brian Keene, Executive Director/Founder of TeamASSIST.org who holds a Bachelors of Science from NC State University in Sports Management, Parks, Recreation and Tourism, completed internships in the NBA/WNBA creating and implemented marketing brands on-site sponsorship activation and worked in the NFL as a Retail Manager.

Massage Therapy - With a clear background check and a sports-minded purpose, you can go a long way in this business. Focus on athletes and with that medical massage initiative you'll walk away in 10 - 12 months with a certificate and career you can work in the rest of your life. Making anywhere between $40 - $75/hr, you'll be ready, able and creating a satisfying lifestyle for you and your family.

Emergency Medical Technician - When you live in an urban and rural environment and emergencies happen around you all day long, you dream to live in a safer world. What better way to live in a safer world than becoming an Emergency Medical Technician and/or Paramedic. In as few as three weeks, and up to 3 months part-time, you have the ability to be compensated higher than a "normal" High School student who recently graduated. Starting rate is $14/hour and with gained experience earn as much as $24/hour.

Have you thought about going to college for sports medicine?

Take on your next role with these Bachelors of Science and then Master degrees and you'll be setting yourself for career longevity you never thought possible. 

Certified Athletic Trainer - Deciding to go to college is a big deal. Having a career in mind prior to college is an ever bigger deal. Within many university sports programs, educational and experiential opportunities are available in this field and it is your responsibility to seek them out. And think about these fun facts:

• With over 60 Million athletes in youth sports and only 50,000 Certified Athletic Trainers in the United States, there are thousands of sporting events, both at home and abroad, that need this individual on-site. 
• As a student-athletic trainer in college, you do receive some recognition. Depending on your program, you may receive, in no particular order, rewards and accolades with Certificates of Excellence, partial scholarships, or travel to sporting events with your team and per diem.
• If you chose to go to massage school prior to your college experience, AND your college of choice consists of a significant community (10,000 or more students) you have the capability to walk into a sports medicine program with a prior knowledge and skill set that will transform their sports medicine space. With this knowledge and that community, you may build your own business locally that will transition your work from student to business MAN or WOMAN in just a few short years.
• The Certified Athletic Trainer is also CPR/First Aid/AED certified and in some states may be required to attain a Masters degree. So, if you have a scholarship or side business you'll be able to maintain and/or continue to grow without worry of school tuition and other associated fees.
• Average hourly for an independent ATC: $20 - $25

Physical Therapist -

Camera Operator -

Sports Broadcasting -