Home - Breathe Easy Play Hard FoundationBreathe Easy Play Hard Foundation

Yes, you can win.

Yes, you will win with asthma.

In both sports and life.

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life
John Starks

Knicks veteran talks asthma.

Watch the video

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life
Got asthma?

No need to sit on the sideline!

You can still be a competitive youth athlete.

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life
New York Rangers'

Dan Girardi

New York Rangers' All-Star Defenseman Dan Girardi goes on offense with asthma.

Watch the video

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life
Got asthma?

You can still actively play sports or exercise to stay healthy.

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life
Exclusive interview with

Dara Torres

Winner of 12 Olympic medals
for swimming

Read the interview

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life
BEPH Asthma Awareness Night

at Madison Square Garden

NY Rangers vs NY Islanders

Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and inspiring young people with asthma so they can succeed in both sports and in life

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Who We Are and Our Mission

Based in New York, Breathe Easy Play Hard is a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to young athletes with asthma and youth with asthma who simply want to stay fit— and the team of parents, coaches, teachers and peers who care about their health and well-being. In underserved, urban communities such as the South Bronx and Harlem, BEPH endeavors to find gaps in the inconsistent medical care of at risk youth with asthma— and fill them with solutions.

Our mission is to provide clear, concise and accessible educational, guidance and self-help resources for young people with asthma in easy-to-understand terms. We do our best to de-mystify complicated medical jargon and give kids and teens the tools they need to succeed in both sports and life.

Read more about our vision, values, attitude and our Founder/ Board of Directors.

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Questions?

The Basics of Asthma: What You Need to Know

Whether you’re a young person trying to exercise, a youth athlete seeking to compete, or a coach or parent who wants know what he or she should be doing to support, you’ve got to know some of the cold, hard facts about asthma. Read The Basics of Asthma.

Top 10 Tips
for Kids & Teens

Even if you have asthma, you can still play any sport just for fun or even compete at the highest level as long as you follow your doctor's asthma treatment plan and work hard. You don't have to sit on the sidelines—just look to your favorite Olympic and professional athletes and famous performers who have achieved great success in both their careers and in life and didn't let asthma stop them! Just like them, you too, can Breathe Easy and Play Hard! Check out these 10 Tips to winning with asthma.

Top 10 Tips
for Parents

If your child has asthma, or difficulty breathing with exertion, or avoids participating in sports and physical activities, please talk to your pediatrician about seeing a pediatric pulmonologist or asthma specialist for an evaluation. Asthma should NOT prevent your child from reaching his or her potential both in sports and in life! All children with asthma should be able to Breathe Easy and Play Hard! Check out these 10 Tips to create a winning asthma game plan for your child.

Top 10 Tips
for Coaches, Gym Teachers, & Nurses

There are countless Olympic gold medal athletes and professional sports players that have asthma. We want you to know that kids and teens with asthma can Breathe Easy and Play Hard and should not have to sit on the sidelines! You are an integral part of your student-athlete's asthma team. To best support kids and teens with asthma, and to create a winning game plan, check out these 10 Tips to ensure that asthma has a minimal impact on their health and ability to exercise and compete even at the highest level.

Famous People with Asthma: Past and Present

Here is just a sample of the many athletes (Olympic and professional), celebrities, dancers, musicians and politicians that have asthma. They have all been successful at the highest level in their chosen professions and are excellent examples of how asthma does not have to hold you back from succeeding at anything that you want to do in life. All you need is a proper evaluation and a good, individualized asthma treatment plan, and perseverance!

Read about how they succeeded with asthma.

David Beckham

Football (Soccer) Player, Model, Entrepreneur
Dan Girardi

Alternate Captain for the New York Rangers
Robert Joffrey

Dancer, Choreographer, co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet
Frank Lampard

Football (Soccer) Player
Paula Radcliffe

Women’s Marathon World Record Holder
Dara Torres

Olympic Swimmer
Amy Van Dyken

Olympic Swimmer
Anna Trebunskaya

Dancing with the Stars
Juwan Howard

NBA Dallas Mavericks Player
Dominique Wilkins

Former NBA Player
Donnell Bennett

NFL Fullback
Jerome “The Bus” Bettis

Former NFL Halfback
Emmitt Smith

Former NFL Player
Kristi Yamaguchi

Gold Medal Figure Skater
Jessica Alba

Actress, Model and Entrepreneur
Diane Keaton

Actress
Martin Scorsese

Academy Award-Winning Film Director
Leonard Bernstein

Composer, Conductor, Music Lecturer, and Pianist
Bono

Singer-songwriter, Musician, and Philanthropist
Billy Joel

Singer, Pianist, Songwriter, Composer
Eminem

Rapper, Songwriter, Record Producer, and Actor
Pink

Singer
Ludwig van Beethoven

Composer, Virtuoso Pianist
Coolio

Rapper & Actor
Wynonna Judd

Singer
Liza Minnelli

Singer, Actress
Bill Clinton

42nd President of the United States
John F. Kennedy

35th President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States

Read about how they succeeded with asthma.

Kids Like You and Me with Asthma

ML

I am presently a college freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the lightweight varsity crew team; I was diagnosed with asthma at about the age of 5. When I was younger, I was a member of my school’s soccer and track teams. I never let asthma stand in the way of doing what I wanted to do. Along with my parents, I learned to regularly take my asthma medicine and monitor my asthma control and progress with my doctor. Over the years, my lung function has actually improved as a result of my physical workouts and I actually need less medicine. I did get a bit discouraged and lightened up a bit on my activities when I got sick but that was always temporary.

EH

I am 15 years old and while I am not athletic, I have loved to sing ever since I was little. I am currently training to sing opera, which takes excellent breath control. Classical music has so many long and winding phrases and a wide range of notes. A few years ago, I found that I was having difficulty breathing especially when I sang. My mother took me to be evaluated by a pulmonologist. I was diagnosed with asthma and since starting my inhaled regimen, I have improved so much. I make it through all the phrases and I can reach all the notes. Now, I am on my way to becoming the opera singer I hope to be! I hope my story inspires other singers with trouble breathing to get an evaluation and possible treatment.

Lenny K

Diagnosed with asthma at age 8, Lenny doubles as a cycling competitor within the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference and as a triathlon and marathon athlete.

VM

I was recently diagnosed with asthma. I am 12 years old. I have been playing basketball for six years and and this past year I have been having trouble breathing. I would get out of breath on the basketball court when I ran and sometimes wasn’t able to breathe at all when I played sports in the summer. But, then my mom took me to Dr. Schaeffer and she gave me an inhaler to take before I would play sports. At first I was upset that I had asthma because I thought that I would have to give up the game I love (basketball). Basketball is my dream and I thought it was over. But then, Dr. Schaeffer explained to me that I can still play sports and become an athlete even though I have asthma. I just have to take my medicine and then I can go all the way with basketball. One day I hope to play Pro Basketball and be a role model for kids who have asthma. So get up and Breathe Easy Play Hard!!!

MM

I am 10 years old and I live in New York. I was diagnosed to have asthma two years ago. I attend elementary school and like to play basketball, baseball, and Tae Kwon Do. I really like to sing so my favorite activity is acting in some kind of performance or show. I take my asthma medicine every morning and evening. This allows me to perform without trouble. Personally, when I sing, I have to project my voice. Recently, I had a cold and I was in the play “Grease”. I took some extra medicine that my doctor prescribed and I was able to sing my solo with the cold. Asthma didn’t hold me back. After all, the show must go on.

Inspire other kids like you by submitting your personal asthma story or video.

Download the submission form and attach a high resolution photo or video.

Download the Submission Form

Events

Breathe Easy Play Hard (BEPH) has been producing Asthma Youth Education & Awareness Halftime Programs in Madison Square Garden for eight years.

The Foundations’s Community Outreach at New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty and Red Bulls (in Red Bull Arena) games as well as our Comprehensive Coaches and Parents Seminars have reached tens of thousands of Parents, Youth (and their Peers), Coaches, Gym Teachers and The Medical Community in the Tri-State area. In 2016-2017 we will be further expanding our reach into under-served urban communities with our mobile programs.

Click Here To See Our 2016-2017 Upcoming Events & Programs

Blog

Good News for Pain Relief and Fever Control in Young Children with Asthma
August 29, 2016
In the last few years, a few studies have suggested that the use of acetominophen (Tylenol) can be associated with increased asthma symptoms and exacerbations. As a result, there have been recommendations to completely avoid acetominophen use for either pain relief or fever control in children with asthma. Unfortunately, these
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How Your Weight Affects Your Asthma
July 20, 2016
The increasing overall incidence of asthma in children over the past 2-3 decades actually parallels the increase in obesity. There is a direct connection between higher body mass index (weight), irritability of the airways and the development of asthma symptoms in children. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology,
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