Chris Nowinski

President and CEO, Sports Legacy Institute

Nowinski is a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment whose career abruptly ended in 2003 due to a series of concussions. Later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, he discovered he had suffered undetected concussions during his college football and wrestling careers. Through his efforts, he has linked multiple concussions with serious longterm neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, memory impairment and depression, and found a startling lack of concussion awareness and treatment.

In 2006, Nowinski wrote the book “Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis,” to educate parents, coaches and children on this public health issue. His concussion advocacy raised the issue into national awareness, forcing the National Football League and WWE to upgrade their concussion-management protocols. To continue this neuropathological research, Nowinski co-founded the nonprofit Sports Legacy Institute, partnering with the Boston University School of Medicine to create the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

Nowinski is a sought-after voice for concussion awareness. He is frequently quoted in national publications and regularly appears on television, including HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” which won an Emmy for sports journalism. Since 2004, he has spoken more than 50 times at medical conferences, schools and sports organizations around the world.

Mark Hyman

Sports Journalist and Author of “Until It Hurts: America’s Obsession with Youth Sports and How It Harms Our Kids”

Over the last 75 years, adults have staged a hostile takeover of kids’ sports. In 2003 alone, more than 3.5 million children younger than 15 required medical treatment for sports injuries, nearly half the result of overuse. The quest to turn children into tomorrow’s superstar athletes leads adults to push kids beyond their physical and emotional limits.

“Until It Hurts” explores how youth sports have reached this state. Hyman’s investigation takes him from the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania to a Chicago soccer club, from adolescent tennis superstars in Atlanta to California volleyball players. He interviews dozens of children, parents, coaches, psychologists, surgeons, sports medicine specialists and former professional athletes; he also examines the history of youth sports in our country and how it has evolved, particularly the increased involvement of girls and participation of parents.

The book’s multiple perspectives open the dialogue about the perils of youth sports culture today, focusing on the unfortunate cases of overzealous parents and overly ambitious kids and on how positive change is being made.

Wendi M. Carns, MD, FACOG

Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Saint Francis Medical Center

Carns specializes in comprehensive care for women’s health and wellness at every stage of life. She understands that female student athletes have different physiological makeups than their male counterparts. She will instruct coaches on how to effectively train girls in sports.

A fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Carns obtained her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and later completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the university. She resides in Cape Girardeau with her husband and two children, enjoys the outdoors, and is an avid golfer.

James M. Edwards, MD

Orthopedic Surgeon, Saint Francis Medical Center

As an experienced Orthopedic surgeon and former baseball player, Edwards understands the impact injuries can have on athletes and works diligently to get them back into the game. He has brought advanced shoulder repair techniques to the region and will be showing coaches how to effectively manage and treat a number of shoulder injuries often common in younger athletes.

Edwards, a Cape Girardeau native, received his medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia and completed his internship and residency with the University of Missouri Department of Orthopedic Surgery in Columbia.