Sports Toolkit

Sports are a part of everyday life.  There are many benefits to participating in sports, learning to work with others is a benefit of sports and also a good tool to have for everyday life.  Participating in sports can be a challenge for someone with a bleeding disorder.  With proper preparation and communication, people living with bleeding disorders CAN participate in sports safely.

This toolkit is a highlight of some of the resources within the Families program that can assist when preparing to participate in sports. Included are:

• presentations (recorded webinars, videos)
• downloads (articles, documents)
• links to other resources

Note: Inclusion of resources by a third party site or organization do not constitute an endorsement by HFA, the HFA Board, volunteers or staff. 

PRESENTATIONS
	Webinar – To Play or Not to Play: That is the question. There is so much conflicting information about whether a child with a bleeding disorder should play sports. Hear from our resident experts, those with bleeding disorders and parents who made the choice to allow their child to participate in sports. The panelists share their experiences and provide useful insight on preparing for sports.
	FitFactor Fitness Videos: Physical activity of any kind is important. Organized sports may not be something you or your child is interested in. It doesn’t have to cost much time or money, but physical activity can make a big difference in your overall health. Martial Arts Faces of Hemophilia: Martial Arts Overlooked Benefits of Martial Arts Martial Arts: A Bleeding Disorders How To Swimming Swimming Safety Tips for Parents Bicycling Introduction to Bicycle Safety Adult Safety on a Bicycle Bicycle Safety for Kids Check out the “Healthier Bodies Bleed Less” Toolkit for more videos and inspiration.
	Bleeding Disorders Community Perspectives: Be Active-Interview with Paul Brayshaw: Paul, who participates in our annual Gears for Good Bike Ride, talks about the support and encouragement he received from his parents, and how he will lead by example when sharing life lessons with his newborn son. Mom’s Blog Infusing Love: Isolated No More Infusing Love: For the Love of Basketball Infusing Love: Summiting Mount Worry Infusing Love: You Can Do Anything (With Guidance) In the News… Hemophiliac baseball player pays it forward – and pays it back to the late Ryan White

DOWNLOADS
	What You Should Know: Identifying what coaches need to know about your/your child’s bleeding disorder and how to convey that information can be a struggle. This document helps you organize that important information on a postcard. Coaches can keep it in their score book, in their first aid kit or even on their clip boards. (The postcard is fillable or it can be printed and filled out by hand.)
	HFA Dateline Federation Article: The Overlooked Benefits of Martial Arts: Our quarterly print newsletter features articles about health and wellness. This article (on pages 16-17) offers helpful hints for keeping your body in tip top shape.
	Get in Gear App: HFA’s app for smartphones is designed to encourage people to become more active. It can be used to track any fitness activity, from walking to yoga to swimming to marathons…all while listening to music on your mobile device!
	NHF – Playing It Safe: The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) is dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for inheritable bleeding disorders and to preventing the complications of these disorders through education, advocacy and research. This brochure was developed by the Physical Therapist Working Group of the NHF.
	NHF – Benefits of Sports Fitness: This Steps for Living article describes the benefits of physical activity and participating in sports.
	Elevate Health: A Quarterly Research Digest of the President’s Council on Fitness Sports and Nutrition: Read the article Accessible Well-managed Sports Programs Can Produce Psychosocial Benefits.

LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES
	CDC, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: The CDC Division of Blood Disorders offers many resources to learn more about bleeding disorders. Playing it Safe video Sports Safety Heads Up: Concussion Awareness

Learning Central

HFA’s Learning Central: One of the ways you can learn about bleeding disorders is to educate yourself with medically-vetted, accurate information, like the educational information found in HFA’s Learning Central e-learning platform. You may learn something new or brush up on facts or gain the information you need to help educate others about bleeding disorders.