From the shoes we wear on our feet to the high definition televisions in our living room, wearable devices, the sports universe is a breeding ground for technology. Writer and Photographer Rick Limpert will examine this each week on The Tech of Sports – With guests which include athletes, inventors and journalists that cover the intersection of sports and technology.
Rick talks to Naomi J. Brown, MD, pediatric sports medicine specialist about injuries in youth sports.
While playing sports can be important for both physical and mental health, injuries are bound to happen, landing millions of young athletes in the ER each year. Contact and collision sports like football, basketball, hockey and soccer often cause injuries, but so can other sports like baseball, gymnastics, bicycling and even ballet.
Experts say establishing a healthy training routine is the key to preventing most injuries. This includes stretching and cooling down, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. Experts also say it’s important to avoid comparison, as every child is different in terms of growth, muscle strength and bone density.
Topics:
How common are injuries in young athletes?
What are the most common types of injuries you see?
What can children and teens do to prevent injury?
When it comes to sports injuries, what’s the best option for treatment – an ER, urgent care or pediatrician’s office?
Where can we go to learn more?
Naomi J. Brown, MD, is a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) focusing on sports injury prevention, overuse injuries and pain management. Her areas of expertise are dance medicine, hypermobility, injury prevention, pediatric injuries, pediatric sports medicine, repetitive strain injuries, skiing and snowboarding injuries and sports injuries.
Great to catch up with Richard Terry of Inspired at G2E.
A lot going in with Inspired in sports.
Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (“Inspired” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: INSE), a leading provider of B2B gaming content and systems, is set to showcase its latest advancements at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). The Company is excited to highlight how Inspired’s content drives opportunities and success for operators across its diverse digital and retail portfolio.
One of the highlights includes Inspired’s proven Hybrid Dealer® line, which innovatively combines live dealer elements with RNG efficiency. This solution eliminates the need for physical studios by utilizing CGI, green screens, and authentic footage to create a seamless, captivating experience. Inspired has launched this pioneering line with numerous operators, including BetMGM with MGM Bonus City™, Caesars Entertainment with Caesars Palace Wheel of Wins™, and more recently, FanDuel with FanDuel Tailgate Takeover™, a football-themed Hybrid Dealer game. The portfolio, customer base, and geographic reach are expanding rapidly, demonstrating strong market momentum.
Building on this momentum, Virtual Sports takes a leap forward with the unveiling of Soccer 3.6™. This new release introduces Bet Builder™ mechanics that offer customized, multi-outcome wagers, enhancing interactivity. At the same time, Inspired broadens the scope of Virtuals, with differentiated content designed for both retail and online audiences, such as Fortune Flyer™, a fast-paced, crash-inspired racing game. Fortune Flyer provides multiple betting opportunities, quicker event cycles, and a broader range of volatility.
Delivering across multiple segments, Inspired’s Valiant™ cabinet continues to outperform with fun, engaging games featuring graphics, mechanics, and math profiles specifically tailored to resonate with North American players. One of the most anticipated games on display at G2E is Jaguar Gems™, which embodies the “familiar but fresh” philosophy by taking Wild Mighty Tembo™, a player favorite, and enhancing gameplay with pseudo-persistence, a feature that maintains game state across sessions. Additionally, seasonal titles will be introduced, promising to put everyone in a festive mood.
Central to Inspired’s diverse portfolio is its omni-channel content, which ensures seamless engagement across digital and retail platforms. At G2E, the Company will showcase the breadth of its iGaming lineup, highlighting high-performing franchises, seasonal slots, and innovative features.
Among the key titles is Wolf It Up! Again™, from the popular Wolf It Up!™ franchise, which continues to grow in strength and brand appeal across North America. Seasonal titles such as Werewolf It Up! ™ (arriving in time for Halloween) and Wolf It Up! Christmas™ will also be introduced, emphasizing Inspired’s commitment to seasonal and engaging content.
In addition, another key iGaming reveal is Gold Cash Free Spins Super Wheel™, which features a new multiplayer persistence mechanic called Player Link™ (US patent application no. 63/880). This industry-first mechanic allows players on the same stake to share a single Super Wheel across all games, along with a never-before-seen bonus game, further demonstrating Inspired’s innovation in creating engaging, player-centric experiences.
DR. IAN GIAMMANCO; Lead Research Meteorologist, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
MICHAEL RICHMOND-CRUM; Senior Director of Personal Lines & Counsel, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)
The U.S. is entering the most active part of hurricane season, which typically begins to peak between mid-August and mid-October. Now is the time to strengthen your property to limit potential damage and check your insurance coverage to make sure you are financially prepared if a storm damages your property.
Natural disasters in recent years have caused billions of dollars in damage, which is a key reason why insurance costs have risen. To help ease the cost of insurance long-term, it is critical to increase the resiliency of homes and communities and reduce costly damage from severe weather. Costs to repair and rebuild homes and businesses after a natural disaster have risen significantly due to inflation. In the last five years, the cost of construction labor has increased 36.3 percent while the cost of building materials are up 42.7 percent. Homeowners should take time to review their insurance policy and verify with their insurer or agent that their coverage is keeping pace with these cost increases to help prevent being underinsured after a disaster.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) researches ways to strengthen buildings from severe weather and wildfire. The nonprofit provides property owners with science-backed guidance to prepare buildings to better withstand a severe weather event and helps inform future building codes to make our homes and businesses stronger. Adopted and enforced modern building codes are critical to improving resilience against storms.
With an active hurricane season expected, now is the time for homeowners to understand the risk of their community and evaluate ways they can reduce the potential for damage to their home if disaster strikes. In this segment, Dr. Ian Giammanco and Michael Richmond-Crum will be available to offer tips to guide property owners as they prepare for a potentially active peak hurricane season, including:
Upgrading to a FORTIFIED roof the next time you re-roof. This beyond-code standard will help keep your roof deck attached to your roof structure by using things like 8D ring shank nails that increase the uplift strength of your roof. A FORTIFIED roof will also keep you covered in the event that high winds blow off your shingles and underlayment, which exposes cracks in your roof deck and allows heavy rain to enter into your home. With a FORTIFIED roof, those cracks will be covered with flashing tape that IBHS research shows will keep up to 95% of water out of your home.
IBHS’s Roofing Roadmaps is a first-of-its kind tool to educate homeowners about the expected performance of roof covers, including asphalt shingle, metal and tile roofing systems, in relation to where they live and the natural hazards they face. (Roof 101) (Hazard 101)
The garage door is the largest opening in your home, which means it’s also susceptible to damaging winds that can cause it to fail, allowing wind to rush into the open garage pushing up on the roof and out on walls, much like a balloon, causing structural damage. Install a wind-rated garage door to prevent this.
When windows and doors are broken by flying debris, wind pressures can enter your home and push on your house from the inside out like a balloon, leading to structural damage. Installing impact-rated windows and doors that can withstand impacts from flying debris will help prevent this.. Alternatively, installing storm shutters over your windows can also help protect them from flying debris, keeping wind and water out.
Low-cost ways to strengthen your property to reduce potential damage.
Clogged gutters can lead to water damage. Remove leaves and debris so water can flow freely away from your home.
Secure loose items in your yard like flowerpots and tools that can turn into dangerous projectiles in high winds.
Seal cracks around windows, doors, or siding to help keep the water out during storms.
How to conduct an insurance policy review to prevent being underinsured.
Other easy steps to take to be more prepared for hurricane season, such as creating a home inventory, having copies of your insurance policies in a safe and accessible place, and saving your insurer’s toll-free claims number to your phone’s contacts.
Topics:
This is predicted to be an active hurricane season. What steps can property owners take to make their home stronger and prevent potential storm damage?
How soon should homeowners get a jump on prepping their property for the season? And if they’re behind schedule, what quick fixes can still make a difference?
Why are the roof and garage door so important when it comes to severe weather and where can I learn more?
What makes hurricane preparedness just as essential for inland property owners as it is for those on the coast?
Why is it important for homeowners to review their insurance policies yearly and what should they check for to help make sure they have enough coverage to repair or rebuild their home if disaster strikes?
What kind of impact does increasing severe weather in recent years have on insurance costs and what can we do about it?
Where can our listeners go for more information?
Rick catches up with former pro boxer, Tony Jeffries this week.
As an amateur, he won the light-heavyweight bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. In 2012, Jeffries was forced to retire due to hand injuries. He has since become a YouTuber who began posting boxing tutorials in 2007; he has amassed millions of followers.
He began to box at the age of ten, inspired by his uncle William Young “Billy” Bryce, a former professional boxer. He joined Sunderland Amateur Boxing Club, and in 1999 won the School Boys’ Championships, gold in the European Cadets (U17) in 2001 and won the juniors of the 2003 YMCA International Cup in New Delhi. He was also a semifinalist in the 2003 Junior Brandenburg Cup and 2003 European Junior Championships in Warsaw.
In addition to his success on social media platforms, Tony now owns and works at Box ‘N Burn boxing gym in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, with Kentucky fitness expert Kevan Watson.\
Rick is joined by a rising star of the PPA (Pickleball) Tour this week.
Meggan William, the top player from the island of St. Lucia.
Meggan is a graduate from the University of Charleston (WV) with a degree in Exercise Science, looking to pursue a Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy post graduation.
The resident of Las Vegas played on the Charleston tennis team and now is one of the many players making the transition to Pickleball. For Meggan, it’s on the professional level. With some good results in 2025, Meggan now has a world ranking. She has her eyes on the Olympics if and when Pickleball becomes and Olympic sport.
She’s traveling the country picking up valuable ranking points and watching her ranking move. Meggan wants everyone to know how hard this is and how dedicated you have to be. Pickleball may be a relatively new sport, but it’s ultra competitive.
Have a listen to Meggan and her journey from college tennis to pro pickleball.
