Choosing The Perfect Mailing List Vendor ? 10 Great Tips!

Direct response marketing is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reach out to any give target audience. Why? Well, billboards may be useful and so are TV ads, but nothing beats the kind of ROI you can achieve from a direct response campaign. Instead of appealing to a general audience, where a below-par strategy can result in losing as many customers as you gain, direct response marketing allows you to personally connect with a very specific audience.

Enough about that, though. If you intend to embark on a large-scale email or direct marketing campaign, one of the most important things you?ll need is a good mailing list. This list is where you?re going to draw the majority of your customers from so it?s a good idea to invest some time and effort into finding the right mailing list provider.

Gleaned from my experiences as a direct marketer, the following tips can help you find a dependable mailing list vendor whose data should set your campaign on fire!
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1.

Try to find a list provider that has been in the business for several years. These vendors have been around the block a number of times; they?ve got a whole lot of experience garnered from analyzing decades of email and direct marketing campaigns.

Plus, they?ve seen the results of different product campaigns aimed at different target audience. If you?re newbie email marketer, chances are your list provider will prove to be an invaluable ally in helping you refine your marketing strategy.

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2. Any reputable list provider has to unbiased concerning their lists. This is the only way you?ll know that they have your best interests at heart when it comes to finding the appropriate mailing list for you.

More importantly, when they lack bias towards their lists, they?re far more likely to listen carefully to your requirements and any additional information, before supplying you with a list that precisely addresses your needs.
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3. A good mailing list vendor should be able to source high-response lists that deliver above average open rates, fresh information and at least 90% delivery rates.

The ideal list vendor should be able to tailor your marketing strategy (if necessary) towards a better performance.

Subject to the constraints of your campaign and product, this could mean sharing case studies, improving your subject lines, optimizing your website and testing the target audience for key response factors. ?

If they don?t offer, go ahead and ask.
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4. Understand and acknowledge that quality doesn?t come cheap. The best list providers usually work with large enterprises that heavily engage in email and direct marketing. These providers maintain vast databases of information on every conceivable industry and consumer segment, and they usually have a minimum purchase order of a $1000 or more.

Be wary of vendors that offer to sell you 500,000 names for a $100 ? those are scams. If you don?t want aged lists replete with bad data, be prepared to spend a little.
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5. Shop around and you?ll find a bargain. Get different list vendors to compete for your business and you?ll be amazed at the savings you can make. Most companies source their lists in bulk which means they get huge discounts that they should (quite rightly) pass on to you.

I?ve seen companies cut as much as 30% off their list price, just to acquire new business.

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6. Check if the competition used the same list. If you intend to purchase a non-exclusive list, find out from your mailing list provider if recent list users were direct competitors in your field.

Two companies advertising similar products to the same audiences are unlikely to record soaring open rates.

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7. Call the list vendor to see if they?re human. There are far too many mailing list scams out there and you don?t want to waste your resources on bad or non-existent data.

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8. Ensure that your list vendor only sells permission-based lists. If you mail subscribers that haven?t opted-in to a list, your emails are likely to go straight to the junk mail folder.

Even if you do make it to the inbox, users generally become irate about receiving unsolicited mail and will report you a spam. If you cross a certain threshold of spam complaints within a specific domain, the ISP will blacklist you, blocking out all future communications from your address.

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9. Find out where your list has been sourced from.?Linda Mentzer is a published author and senior marketing manager for an information management company that has helped sell thousands of software products on a global scale. With over 11 years of experience in electronic marketing techniques, Linda has authored articles for several leading business journals, worldwide.

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10.? Get a sample first. Ask your list vendor to send you a sample of the list you intend to purchase. Execute a trail run on this sample and monitor your open and response rates. These numbers will give you a fairly good idea of what you can expect from the whole list.

There a plethora of list vendors out there and you?ll have your work cut out for you trying to find a decent one. However, once you?ve found a vendor that delivers quality data, stick with them. They?ll be acquainted with your product and past strategies and therefore, will be a able to serve your list requirements much more admirably than their counterparts.

If this article helped isolate a good list vendor, please leave a comment and let me know. In the meantime, happy hunting!

Sources
http://www.berrynetwork.com
http://www.emailresults.com
http://www.esalesdata.com

Source: http://business.ezinemark.com/choosing-the-perfect-mailing-list-vendor-10-great-tips-7d33d4dac137.html

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Curing the Hurt of Painful Hemorrhoids | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

A hemorrhoid is simply an enlarged vein around or inside of the anal sphincter. The affected vein is typically swollen and inflamed. An important fact about hemorrhoids is that the blood vessels are weakened and therefore have poor circulation. They typically need to be emptied of some of the blood. Anything that places too much pressure on the veins in and around the anal sphincter can cause hemorrhoids. This includes constipation, diarrhea, pregnancy, childbirth, excess weight, and heavy lifting. A myth about hemorrhoids is that it nothing can be done to get rid of them. This is incorrect. The good news about hemorrhoids is that there are natural remedies for curing the problem. Many things can be done about hemorrhoids, including several solutions that utilize natural ingredients.

The first step to curing hemorrhoids is first easing the symptoms. Keeping the area clean and maintaining a healthy diet can help calm the painful hemorrhoids. Most additional discomfort comes from constipation, a good diet of fiber, fruits and veggies can lessen the pressure. In addition to cleaning the area, warm sitz baths and heating pads have been known to also relieve the swelling and itching.

When treatment is required, you should do the following to help minimize the pain and any possible infection of the hemorrhoids. Sit in a hot tub of water for 10 to 20 minutes, also known as a sitz bath. Keep the anal area clean, by using a mild soap. Only dab the area after having a bowel movement. Do not use harsh rubbing of the area. Keep the hemorrhoids and anal area dry. You may use a talcum powder and some tissue to help absorb the moisture.

Natural treatments of an internal hemorrhoid include warm soaks, stool softeners, increased fiber intake and over the counter medicines. For the itching and burning symptoms, warm soaks can help in soothing and decreasing the inflammation. You?ll want to do the soaks at least four or five times a day in plain bath water to achieve the full soothing affect.

Hemorrhoids appear when all the blood in the rectum area exerts pressure in the rectal and anal area. A hemorrhoid is a swollen or dilated vein which occurs in and around the anus and rectum area. They may be internal or external.

The last option for relief of the pain and discomfort that hemorrhoids causes is purchasing an over the counter hemorrhoid treatment called Calmovil. Calmovil has been shown to shrink hemorrhoids by dissolving blood clots and strengthening weakened veins, while also relieving itching, and calming the digestive system. Calmovil is an all natural pill which is easy to take. Calmovil is quite effective in both relieving hemorrhoid discomfort as well as improving the hemorrhoid recovery process speed.

Do you want to find info on cushion for hemorrhoids, then go to our site to find the best advice on Hemorrhoid Treatment Facts for Beginners for you.

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/28/curing-the-hurt-of-painful-hemorrhoids/

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The Advantages Of Comic Books For Students In Their Education

Comic books have always been a favorite for children. Comic books are benefit in education because of its inspiring power. The capability of comics to encourage students was recognized long back during Hutchinson's experiment (1949) with a set of courses made around Puck - the Comic Weekly. In the study comics had been found "helpful for motivation" by almost 74% of teachers found while 79% argued that comics "has increased involvement of individual ".

William Marston theorizes that the medium of comic books is woven into the very basics of its nature. As per the words of Marston, people have a natural inclination towards comics. By introducing comic books into the classrooms, teachers can make the atmosphere of "unbelievable inspiring power of comic books". Comics' main advantage over other storybook forms is that comics, being consist of ?graphic and other images? are basically a illustrated medium, where pictures and text take on the burden of the story collectively.Comics can work as a liaison step between tough disciplines and ideas.

Comics can make students inclined towards the regulation of reading, particularly those who do not really take pleasure in reading or have a fear of disappointment or failure. The suggestion of finding comic books helpful in corrective reading teaching was supported by a study at the University of Pittsburgh. Many teachers "discovered comic strips to be mainly helpful in particular classes or for pupils who are slow in learning in usual classes".

W. W. D. Sones, professor of Pittsburgh University in 1944, in a relative study between comics and text, found that comics' visual excellence increases the ability to learn.

He noted that students of "low and middle aptitude level" were particularly assisted by comics' visual quality. Sones' conclusions indicated the inclination towards teaching to numerous intelligences amongst instructors today. In the struggle of engaging students of all learning dispositions, comics can confirm to be an alarming tool.Ahead of particular works, the very act of making comics is an interdisciplinary doings. In fact, reading and writing, comics-based ventures can develop sketch, computer, and explore skills. Many of the skills used in comic books creation can be used for film-making and designing.

Thus, if you are looking for a school to admit you kid, that teaches other disciplines as well as provide a friendly teaching to the kids and helping them to deal with various personal issues as well. Then, Onlineschooladmissions is the appropriate zone for you. Onlineschooladmissions is a site that introduces you to numerous schools and helps you to find a perfect school for your kids that will prove to be beneficial for them and can also get the chance to learn a number of other disciplines.? An online admission agent, we do everything for you right from giving you a choice of schools in India through our online school directory to scheduling an interview for your child from a number of schools. Admissions couldn?t get easier, but then, that?s because OSA understands parental woes that crop up during admission and is dedicated to ease the load off your shoulders.
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Source: http://education.ezinemark.com/the-advantages-of-comic-books-for-students-in-their-education-7d34507a3cd7.html

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Coordinating Business Picnics to market Team-Building | aisushisteak

You will find different ways to produce more efficient and also practical clubs as part of your business. You can attempt different team-building pastimes just like business a picnic or business trips. This specific activity is not just a straightforward trip with your staff. It?s actually a team building situations plan-and an ideal venue-for the workers for you to relationship collectively and also grow their friendship that may be important simply because increased friendship can easily improve your staff?s productiveness. Nonetheless, the actual triumphs each activity is actually drastically determined by the many pursuits and also talks arranged from the team building situations celebration organizers.

Therefore the actual question: how may you examine Bedrijfsuitjes eindhoven? How will you determine that ones that have been best appropriate to answer your own corporation?s requires? Containing the greater plans plus more experience? You will find different ways to guage a particular business to choose what?s best. Among the many stuff that you need to contemplate would be the plans which they manage, the actual offers which they offer you along with their power to meet your own corporation?s requires. Firm trips and also a picnic just isn?t about finding the optimum resort or maybe the many tempting food items for your members. It is also about keeping the actual members, the workers in this instance, serious while advertising his or her team building situations skills and also connecting.

If you are intending to employ Vrijgezellenfeest rotterdam, you need to first current them among the difficulties your own business suffers from and get them for suggestions or tips. As an example, if you?re obtaining troubles by using a particular area as part of your business, you could question corporate and business trips advisor to produce a tailored prepare and also package deal that can directly concentrate in to the concern that you simply talked about and also react to your preferences. There are plenty involving celebration preparing firms that are unable to combination entertaining and also work characteristics of their pursuits. You may be surprised in what amount most of them have no clue which usually points or pursuits are generally pleasurable for your staff throughout a picnic or trips, even though some usually do not know how to measure the inner processes of the corporate and business globe. These lenders are not able to instantly react to your preferences so avoid.

Among the numerous reason these types of Groepsuitje rotterdam organizations are unable to observe the characteristics of the business community is they are not designed out of your very same galaxy. Folks behind these types of team building situations organizations get minimum or no enterprise expertise for this reason they may not be in a position to bond his or her pursuits towards the requirements of the business. That is not to imply which they are not able to manage pursuits and also games. They could, but they?re perfect for personal or close friends however can?t be useful to react to selected ?corporate? requires. With the initial period, should you ask a solution to obtain a dilemma that you simply explained, you?ll be able to effortlessly know if the business is often a business as well as the leisure company.

Team building situations are not able to come about without any essential instructional pursuits that needs to be distributed by individuals who have enterprise or coaching expertise. Enjoying accommodating games just isn?t team building situations with there being some other characteristics involved. To arrange the top business trip or eat outside for your staff, you need to choose a team building situations situations manager in which is aware of exactly what team building situations is actually along with the appropriate techniques to achieve it inside entertaining, entertaining method.

February 26, 2012

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Source: http://aisushisteak.com/2012/02/coordinating-business-picnics-to-market-team-building/

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CAP rates for Aspen commercial real estate | Aspen Daily News ...

As the Aspen commercial real estate market emerges from its four year slump, one of the primary questions on the minds of owners, investors and appraisers is what is a reasonable capitalization rate (?CAP rate?) in today?s investment market for Aspen commercial real estate? For those not familiar with the terminology, a CAP rate is the net operating income (NOI) of an investment real estate property divided by the price of the property. Most commercial properties in downtown Aspen operate on net leases where the tenants pay the building?s operating expenses, real estate taxes, insurance and property management costs; and the landlord receives a net rent as compensation for owning the building.

The initial CAP rate an investor is willing to pay for an investment property is related to the investor?s view of what the building will likely produce in future cash flow and the probability of receiving that cash flow, otherwise known as the risk factor. The higher the investor?s expectation of future NOI and their confidence in the certainty of actually receiving the cash flow, the lower the CAP rate the investor will pay for the investment. The lower the investor?s expectation of future NOI and the higher the risk of receiving the future cash flow, the higher the CAP rate the investor will demand. Over the past 12 years, national CAP rates on the sale of retail properties have ranged from 100 to 500 basis points over the 10-year Treasury bill which presently yields about 2.01 percent. Currently, the national average CAP rate for retail properties is 7.81 percent as reported by CBRE Valuation and Advisory Services.

Over the past four years, Aspen?s commercial rents dropped approximately 30-50 percent depending on the location and building quality, a decline that was as much if not greater than the national average drop in commercial rents. The degree that commercial rents declined in Aspen was probably a surprise to investors who willing paid as low as 4.0 percent cap rates for Aspen commercial properties back in the mid-term of the last decade when Aspen had a virtual zero commercial vacancy rate.

This past experience should lead investors to think that Aspen?s commercial property should trade at cap rates similar to the national average for retail properties. However, when you consider the fact that Aspen has a finite supply of commercial space which generally results in historically low vacancy rates, you could make the argument that Aspen?s commercial properties should trade at a premium of perhaps 750 basis points or about a 7 percent cap rate for the average commercial property in today?s market.

Another way to check this assumption is to run an analysis based on a typical property acquired using market rate acquisition financing of say a 6.0 percent interest rate, 1:25 debt coverage ratio, 75 percent loan-to-value and a 20 year amortization schedule. Using this analysis, an investors could purchase a property in Aspen at an approximately 7.0 percent CAP rate and realize approximately the same rate of investment return over 10 years as an investor purchasing a retail investment property in another part of the country at a 7.8 percent CAP rate.

Although real estate investments are influenced by a number of factors, such as tenant mix, lease terms, age and condition of property, lease rental rates versus market rental rates and opportunities to add value, a 7.0 percent CAP rate would seem to be a reasonable mean CAP rate to determine a properties current value from which the CAP rate could be adjusted up or down depending on property location, quality of tenants and term of leases.

Thi opinion piece provided byWilliam Small, JD, CCIM, Managing Director of Frias Commercial Real Estate, a division of Frias Properties of Aspen.

Source: http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/152039

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Health and Fitness Articles ? Blog Archive ? Disability Law Essential ...

A society can only be judged by observing how its members treat each other and especially those that are disabled. These individuals require assistance and they should be treated with respect so that they can feel appreciated and part of society. Disability law is therefore protects these people and citizens should be aware of these rules.

The rules are utilized to enable this minority to exist in a surrounding that allows them to enjoy their lives. These people are unlikely to be hired, admitted in school or to be given a chance to satisfy their day to day needs. The rules are intended to give people with disabilities an equal chance to be successful.

For the disabled to have quality lives there are some factors that have to be streamlined to suit them. Because of their physique a big number of them are unable to gain access to some premises. Public and government facilities should be built in a way that the physically challenged can enter easily. When premises are out of bound this becomes a mode of discrimination to this special part of society.

The physically challenged should be provided with proper schooling in a friendly atmosphere which matches their individual wants. Educational institutes are required to have curriculum tailored for these individuals besides making sure that skilled teachers are available. These enables them to learn important things making their tomorrow better than their past.

People who are offering jobs should allow the disabled to earn their daily bread if they are skilled enough to work. They should also give them a favorable atmosphere for them to conduct their duties. In equity drives them into solitude, turning them unproductive and denying them financial independence.

Like other citizen the disabled have a right to be registered as voters and to vote. The polling stations should be accessible and those that do not comply with this rule are not supposed to be used. The voters should also be assisted as they go through the voting process. This ensures that they are able to understand what is expected of them using special devices or people who are trained to communicate with them.

A large percent of these people were denied the benefit of traveling by air because there lacked the necessary infrastructure and the regulations were unfriendly. The aviation industry could not allow their assistance to use the planes segregating those who need support at all times. Newly acquired airbuses are expected to be appropriate for their use while airfields structures are being modified to match their wants.

Despite their situations, it is illegal to make it difficult for the challenged to have a home. This group of individuals has the liberty to acquire, rent out and stay in any home of their choice if they can pay for it. Rules that are hostile to the disabled in relation to getting a house should not be allowed to continue existing. The disability law is very important due to the fact that each person can be affected by disability.

Don?t be a victim of Toronto disability lawyer. Consult an Ontario disability lawyer about disability concerns. If you are unsure of your rights and live outside the GTA, make an appointment today.

Tags: attorney, business, disabilities, family, Finance, health, Health and Fitness, insurance, law, lawyer, legal, medical, Society

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 1:36 pm and is filed under Health and Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.healthandfitnessarticlesblog.com/disability-law-essential-for-the-physically-challenged/

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In which to locate Wise Relationship Advice | Webmaster Articles

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Relationships guidance will come from anybody who has good affairs along with their couples and even also from people whom currently have really good experiences with regards to affairs. Generally there are generally ...

Source: http://webmasterarticles.net/in-which-to-locate-wise-relationship-advice/

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Apartment Redecorating Suggestions ? Methods to Perform Up Your ...

You are planning to or have already moved to a new apartment. Or may be you want to redo the interior decoration of the apartment you are already staying in. Decorating your apartment can be a fun job provided you plan well. Here are some apartment decorating tips for you to keep in mind.

A single. The most important condo designing suggestion any person will give you is to strategy nicely. Finding a realistic prices are very important. Now strategy what you need to complete in every area. Pore more than designing magazines and browse the web with regard to tips. Compose or attract the things you would really like in your bed room, living room, dining area and cooking area. Choose every thing, including the colour of the actual walls, wall structure decorations, furnishings, draperies, draperies and lighting.

A couple of. Creating a not-so-huge spending budget does not necessarily mean that you simply can?t have a beautiful home. It only signifies that you have to be wise and creative. Garage sales and flea markets can save you a great deal of money if you are not too snobbish about using second-hand things! You?ll get great vintage components of est sales. Select items which may fit the actual style you need in your condo.

Several. If you?re good together with your fingers, it is possible to sew the actual drapes and curtains of one?s condo after purchasing the material. It will not only conserve your funds, additionally, you will have a large amount of entertaining doing the work. You may also help make knick knacks from used items.

Four. If you?re with limited funds why don?t you carry out the piece of art of one?s fresh condo yourself? The whole family can interact. Not only will you have fun, additionally, you will be capable of spend time together with your household.

A few. Apartments are usually small so it is vital that you use furnishings, lighting and colours in a manner that is likely to make it appear larger than it is actually. Buy furnishings which is slim rather than big. They?re not going to only save up space, and can also appear trendier. Asymmetrical shelves appear contemporary. In addition they provide a place for keeping books and knick-knacks. Wrap-around settees are awesome to check out. Purchase one in a dark color.

Six. Use bright and content colors around the walls of one?s condo. They will produce a comfortable atmosphere as well as an impression regarding space.

Seven. Avoid using an excessive amount of covers in case your condo just isn?t too large.

8-10. The actual kitchen should be offered special importance. Picking a foldable table is a great idea if you wish to conserve space. Keep this location easy, comfortable and friendly in which the complete loved ones can sit down and luxuriate in meals.

Nine. Got lots of home stuff you want to hide? Store these in the garage! It can make a fantastic safe-keeping place for stuff you have no need for each day.

10. Use showcases to generate a great impression regarding space in your condo. Inserting huge showcases tactically constitutes a area appear greater than big t will be.

Interior decorating your property is not just a job. It is entertaining and rewarding! Adhere to these condo designing suggestions to produce a home you?ve always needed.

Source: http://coupon-magazines.com/apartment-redecorating-suggestions-methods-to-perform-up-your-apartment/

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Congressmen Question Pace Of Arlington Cemetery Probe

WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress on Friday questioned why nobody has been prosecuted as part of a criminal investigation of mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery, nearly three years after reports of problems that included misidentified graves first surfaced in the press.

"We are years into this and to my knowledge not a single person has been punished in any way" for one of the worst scandals in the nearly 150-year history of the cemetery, said Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., at Friday's hearing.

Following published reports in 2009 of misidentified graves and a scathing Army audit in 2010, the cemetery's two top officials, Superintendent John Metzler and deputy Thurman Higginbotham, were forced out. The new management team, under Executive Director Kathryn Condon and Superintendent Patrick Hallinan, is in the midst of a painstaking, grave-by-grave review of the nearly 260,000 sites and markers to ensure that the dead are properly accounted for.

Thus far, the review has turned up no further problems of misidentified graves. But it has identified potentially thousands of relatively minor problems, like misspelled names or spouses who were not properly recognized on grave stones because of historical peculiarities in how the cemetery accounted for people over its long history.

The Army's inspector general, Lt. Gen. Peter Vangjel, said the Army's Criminal Investigations Division has completed its probe of the mismanagement at Arlington, and said a decision now rests with the Department of Justice on whether anyone should be prosecuted.

A spokesman for CID, though, said Friday evening that the agency's investigation remains "open and ongoing."

Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, which has jurisdiction over Arlington, declined to comment Friday. It is not uncommon for federal grand jury investigations to take multiple years.

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., called the lack of any prosecution thus far "difficult to believe and unacceptable."

"All of us feel like a significant amount of time has passed where these investigations should have reached their conclusions," he said.

A call to Higginbotham's home went unanswered. Metzler referred calls to his attorney, who declined comment.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/arlington-cemetery-probe_n_1253891.html

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Advocacy group wants 'hit count' to protect kids

Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, talks about a hit count proposal to dramatically reduce youth athletes' exposure to repetitive brain trauma in multiple sports during a news conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, talks about a hit count proposal to dramatically reduce youth athletes' exposure to repetitive brain trauma in multiple sports during a news conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, talks about a hit count proposal to dramatically reduce youth athletes' exposure to repetitive brain trauma in multiple sports during a news conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Kids playing contact sports are suffering too many blows to the head, and an advocacy group is calling for a "hit count" to total them up before it's too late.

Just as Little League pitchers are on pitch counts to protect their elbows, a hit count would prevent the repeated blows that can cause concussions and lead to extreme brain trauma, Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, said Friday.

"The hit count is not an idea we own. Prominent researchers have been talking about it for a while," Nowinski said. "But we can push this to reality. ... We have to find a solution for the children, who are most at risk, and the guidelines will help us get there."

SLI works with the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, and has been a leader in raising public awareness about the dangers of concussions and advocating for safer sports. The NFL has cracked down on flagrant hits in recent years, and is regularly toughening its rules for treating concussions. Players are prohibited from playing or practicing until they've been cleared by a medical professional, and Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday the league is considering having independent neurological doctors at games to examine players.

The dangers are just as great for children, Nowinski said ? maybe even greater. Pop Warner and a growing number of states now have regulations requiring players to be removed if they show signs of a concussion, and bar them from competing again until cleared by a medical professional.

But Nowinski said kids are still absorbing hits at a rate that would be considered dangerous for adults.

"We have to recognize the (physiological) differences," he said. "They're not little men, they're children."

Research may never be able to say what number of hits is dangerous or causes brain trauma, Nowinski said. But high school football players may take an average of 1,000 hits a season, SLI said, with some absorbing as many as 2,500.

And most kids are playing more than one sport.

"We'll have to have the guts to put down a number on paper and say, 'This is a rational goal. This is what kids should be under,'" Nowinski said.

The initiative is getting some high-profile support, with Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday appearing at Friday's news conference. Saturday played a key role in the NFL's rules changes as a member of the players' union executive board. Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is also involved, as is former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski, now a member of SLI's board.

"We need to take it out of kids' hands," Saturday said. "It's us as adults that have to encourage our children and we have to be the ones to make a standard for our kids. They can't advocate for themselves."

The Sports Legacy Institute plans to sit down this spring with youth sports organizations and medical experts, including head trauma expert Dr. Robert Cantu, to come up with hit count guidelines. There should be limits for each day, week, season and year, as well as required rest after minimum exposure to brain trauma. The guidelines would not be limited to football, either, applying to other sports such as soccer, ice hockey and rugby.

Once the guidelines are established, it would then be up to the sports organizations to implement them, ideally beginning in 2013.

"Nobody wants to think about this aspect because football is so fun to watch and so fun to play," Nowinski said. "But we have to address the issue."

And the more organizations that are involved, the better, Nowinski said. Some youth groups are hesitant to impose restrictions or limits because they don't want to drive off children ? or their parents.

But if everyone is adhering to the same standards, that won't be an issue.

"We're not anti-football," Nowinski said. "But we are pro-child."

___

Follow Nancy Armour at http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-02-03-FBN-Super-Bowl-BU-Brain-Trauma/id-58906f107c9f4ee1897cb2745bab63d7

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