FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2008
FHSAA takes proactive approach to address bacterial issues in high school sports
GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association announced today an exclusive licensee agreement with CSG/SportsCoatings that will make the sports world’s most widely used antimicrobial products and treatments available to the Association’s 748 member schools and the student-athletes who represent them.
The deal is an innovative step forward in the fight against bacterial problems facing America’s schools and athletic programs. Bacteria, along with other common microbial contaminants like fungi, mold and algae can be a source of serious infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most notably, cases of Staph and MRSA infections have been reported in disproportionately higher numbers in the athletic community. CSG/SportsCoatings’ exclusive partnership with the FHSAA paves the way for all 748 FHSAA schools to provide their students with the unique and trusted antimicrobial products currently used by professional, college and high school teams nationwide.
"The FHSAA and its member schools are committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of our student-athletes. We are pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement with CSG/SportsCoatings to make its antimicrobial products and treatments available to our member schools," said John A. Stewart, FHSAA executive director.
“The FHSAA is among a growing number of state athletic associations that are re-defining how bacterial issues in high school sports are minimized by taking proactive steps,” said Craig Andrews, CSG/SportsCoatings CEO. “The unique and powerful antimicrobial technology in our products and treatments has proven to combat microbial contamination in the medical industry for over 30 years—now we’re making it available to schools and their students.
CSG/SportsCoatings offers products and treatments that continually inhibit bacterial, fungal and mold growth for up to three years on any surface and up to 30 washes on any fabric. All of its products are powered by the ÆGIS Microbe Shield, which when applied to a surface or fabric will not create adaptive organisms or “super bugs”. CSG/SportsCoatings products and treatments are defined by their unmatched durability, which is made possible by the non-leaching quality of the antimicrobial technology.
As part of its partnership with the FHSAA, CSG/SportsCoatings is treating all 10 competition mats at the 2008 Marines FHSAA Wrestling Finals state championship tournament currently under way in Lakeland with the SportsAide® 1000 family of products. The SportsAide treatment will continually inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mold for up to 30 days. This treatment is promoted by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and is most notably used by the University of Michigan, Ohio State University and Virginia Tech University wrestling programs along with a host of high school teams across the country.
Although SportsAide 1000 is widely used on wrestling mats, it is more commonly used to inhibit microbial growth on shared weights, benches, protective pads, helmets, and training tables. The easy-to-use SportsAide 1000 is currently used by among others the United States Army. It will be made available to all FHSAA schools and their students through CSG/SportsCoatings nationally-renowned fundraising program.
The agreement will also make FabricAideTM available to all 748 FHSAA schools. FabricAide integrates the unique antimicrobial technology used in SportsAide 1000 into washable fabrics. It is an excellent long-term solution to inhibiting the growth of microbial contaminants on towels, socks, uniforms, and athletic wear. The Centers for the Disease Control cites shared towels, uniforms and athletic wear as common transfer routes for MRSA. FabricAide is environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic. It is non-toxic, non-sensitizing and non-irritating to human skin.
Visit www.csgsportscoatings.com or call (888) 510-2847 for more information on CSG/SportsCoatings.
About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 740 middle, junior and senior high schools.
Contacts:
Jack Watford, Associate Executive Director
FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
Mike Brinich, Director of Communications
CSG/Sports Coatings
(248) 997-3270
mikeb@csgsportscoatings.com
