April 3, 2002

U.S. Under-19 National Team to actively support Skin Cancer Foundation

The Under -19 National Team who spend hours in the sun on soccer fields will help inform the public of the risk of skin cancer caused by sun exposure. They will visit schools, give clinics and to tell students and young people that almost all skin cancers are preventable and curable when detected and treated early. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in women age 25-29. More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.

U.S. U-19 National Team Captain Keeley Dowling

As a team, we have become aware that skin cancer effects far more people that we realized. Since we are outdoors all the time, we have learned how important it is to protect our skin and we think, at the same time, it is important to educating the kids and people who come to watch us play. A bunch of us on the team know someone who has been effected by skin cancer and we just want to do all we can do to help in the prevention of the disease.

U.S. U-19 National Team Head Coach Tracey Leone

Skin cancer prevention is an issue that isn't addressed as much as it should be. When people are young, they don't feel threatened by it, so to have these talented young athletes spreading the word about prevention at such a young age is vitally important since that is when the real damage from the sun is done. When kids are young, they feel invincible, but they can be smart in preventing the disease later in life.

Some facts

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has more than tripled among Caucasians between 1980 and 2002, and everyone is at risk for developing this disease. One person dies of melanoma every hour. Almost one in four people who develop melanoma in the United States are under 40 years of age.

The disease effects over one million people a year in the United States.

Protect yourself

Limit time in the sun when ever possible, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m when the rays are at their strongest can cause the most damage.

Wear hats and sunglasses.

Stay out of tanning salons.

Wear lots of sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater.

For more information, visit The Skin Cancer Foundation website at www.skincancer.org