The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) is a
not-for-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization housed at the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
dedicated to the prevention of sudden death in sports, with a focus on exertional
heat stroke
Heat stroke or heatstroke, also known as sun stroke, is a severe heat illness that results in a body temperature greater than , along with red skin, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Sweating is generally present in exertional heatstroke, ...
(EHS).
After
Korey Stringer
Korey Damont Stringer (May 8, 1974 – August 1, 2001) was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at the Ohio State University and wa ...
's death in August 2001 from EHS, Korey's widow, Kelci Stringer, settled her lawsuit against the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
(NFL) in January 2009. KSI stems from this settlement, with Kelci Stringer teaming up with EHS expert, Dr. Douglas Casa, from the University of Connecticut, and the NFL. The purpose of KSI is to minimize preventable deaths in sports through awareness, education, and research in the ways to accurately prevent, recognize, and treat symptoms quickly by being a resource to the entire sports community.
Gary Gertzog, who is the NFL’s senior vice president of business affairs said that "We all thought this was a terrific opportunity to increase the education at all levels of sports, particularly at the youth level, so that they understand how to prevent
heat illness
Heat illness is a spectrum of disorders due to increased body temperature. It can be caused by either environmental conditions or by exertion. It includes minor conditions such as heat cramps, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion as well as the mo ...
. We all have been parents or coaches for youth sports and we all have seen kids playing in very
extreme weather
Extreme weather or extreme climate events includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Often, extreme events are based on a locati ...
conditions. They wanted to make sure everyone understands how important it is to be properly hydrated."
ESPN News
/ref>
KSI serves the needs of active individuals and athletes at all levels — youth, high school, college, professional, people who are physically active, recreational athletes — and those who supervise and care for these individuals. Components of these services include: consultations, advocacy, education, research, athlete testing, and mass-market outreach.
The Korey Stringer Institute is housed in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR) is the oldest of UConn's fourteen colleges and teaches a wide range of subjects. The college was originally established for the purpose of conducting research an ...
at the University of Connecticut. UConn's Department of Kinesiology has a strong tradition and reputation as one of the leading institutions studying health and safety issues for athletes and the physically active.
KSI is partnered with the NFL, Gatorade, NATA, Camelbak, Kestrel, Mission, Eagle Pharmaceuticals and HQ Inc. to further advance its efforts and goals.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
University of Connecticut