From the National Athletic Trainers’ Association
With temperatures on the rise and student athletes returning to preseason practice fields this summer, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) has released safety tips to ensure parents ask the right questions of schools to ensure best sports safety practices are in place.
“Participating in sports activities during the height of summer requires careful planning to prevent and reduce the risk of sport-related conditions and illnesses,” says NATA President Kathy Dieringer, EdD, LAT, ATC. “Parents should be prepared to ask the right questions of their children’s schools. The athletic trainer is often the first person to prevent and manage high school sports injuries – yet only 37% of public US high schools have an athletic trainer on staff. If your school has sports, then you must have an AT,” she says.
Questions to Ask
1. Who comprises the school’s sports medicine team?
Find out who will provide care to your child in case of an injury and ask to review their credentials. NATA recommends that any medical decisions are made by the school’s sports medicine professionals, physicians and ATs, and not the coach to avoid conflict of interest. Coaches and even the athletes themselves may unconsciously make decisions that favor winning over safety.
2. Does the school have an emergency action plan?
Every team should have a venue-specific written emergency action plan (EAP) for managing serious and or potentially life-threatening injuries. It should be reviewed by the AT and local Emergency Medical Service. Individual assignments, emergency equipment and supplies need to be included. If an AT is not employed by the school, other qualified individuals need to be present to render care.
3. Is the equipment in working order?
Make sure all equipment ranging from field goals, basketball flooring, gymnastics apparatus and field turf are in safe and working order. This also includes emergency medical equipment such as splint devices and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – which should be checked once per month; batteries and pads need consistent monitoring and replacing. Accidents can occur in every activity, and that is why the AT should be on site after school to help ensure all equipment is safe and in good order.
4. Does the school have an AED and someone who knows how to use it?
AEDs can save a life and stave off a catastrophic situation. Ensure that the sports medicine team and other personnel know where they are located and how to use them. They should be readily available within three minutes (preferably one minute) during both practices and games.
5. Does the school have lightning protocols?
Summer is a peak time of year for lightning which can appear without warning and is particularly prevalent from afternoon to early evening. Schools should have a lightning-specific emergency action plan in place that ensures lightning and general weather awareness, addresses large venue planning protocols to get athletes and spectators to safe places, and provides for first aid as needed.
Preparing Kids for Sports Participation
6. Get a pre-participation exam:
All athletes should have a pre-participation exam to determine their readiness to play and uncover any condition that may limit participation. A young athlete’s underlying medical condition can be exacerbated with vigorous, sustained physical activity. Parents should also complete an emergency medical authorization form that asks for parent contact information, the athlete’s medical history and permission for emergency medical care for that athlete. Check with your school to obtain the forms.
7. Physical and mental preparation is paramount:
Parents, with input from coaches and ATs, should determine whether their children are physically and psychologically ready for the sport/activity level they’re playing. A young athlete should not be pushed into something he/she does not want to do. If an athlete has been injured and is returning to sport, it’s critical for him or her to have the right mindset and confidence to return to play and avoid repeat injury. If an athlete does show signs of mental distress, the AT, coach, and school mental health professional should work together to provide that athlete the best care.
8. Get Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Training:
CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. According to the American Heart Association, immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. In January, the country became vitally aware of CPR when Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin was injured on the field and CPR helped to save his life. Student athletes should be well trained on how to do CPR when every second and minute counts.
9. Be educated on reducing risk of injury:
NATA has a public educational website, www.AtYourOwnRisk.org that provides comprehensive information on reducing risk of injury in work, life and sport. The site includes interactive state-by-state maps, an educational blog and resources for parents, coaches and others.
10. Be smart about sickle cell trait:
All newborns are tested at birth for this inherited condition, and those results should be shared during a pre-participation exam. Red blood cells can sickle during intense exertion, blocking blood vessels and posing a grave risk for athletes with the sickle cell trait. Screening and simple precautions may prevent death and help the athlete with sickle cell trait thrive in his or her chosen sport.
Tips for Athletes and the Sports Medicine Team
11. Beat the heat:
Acclimatize to warm weather activities over a 7 to 14-day period. This includes heat acclimatization, hydration and modifying exercise based on environmental conditions, among other criteria. It is suggested that for the first 2 days in sports requiring protective equipment, only helmets should be permitted (this includes goalies as in the case of field hockey and related sports); during days 3 to 5 only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn; beginning on day 6, all equipment can be worn.
12. Concussion education:
Be certain the medical team is well educated on concussion prevention and management. Some state concussion laws require schools to educate parents, too. The athlete should be encouraged to speak up if he or she is hit in the head and suffering from any related symptoms such as dizziness, headache, loss of memory, light headiness, fatigue or imbalance.
13. Build in recovery time:
Allow time for the body to rest and rejuvenate in between seasons. If the athlete has just finished the basketball season and has his or her sights set on baseball, make sure there is rest time built in to recover from the rigors of grueling months on the court. If athletes don’t make time for recovery, injury can occur. Acclimatizing to the next sport, with appropriate strength, flexibility and balance training, and the supervision of an AT, will help ensure a healthy season ahead.
14. Pay attention to sport specific injury prevention:
Any repetitive motion can lead to overuse injury. With baseball, it may be the turning of the torso and impact on the hip or the repetitive motion a pitcher goes through each time he or she throws a ball. These motions can put added stress on the joints, muscles or ligaments with sudden movement or rigorous activity increasing the chance of injury. Following a protocol of flexibility and strength training is integral to a young athlete’s participation.
“These recommendations encourage an ongoing dialogue of parents with schools, coaches and others involved in their child’s sports participation,” adds Dieringer. By following these guidelines, we know that if injury should occur, proper planning is in place with the right health professionals including the athletic trainer, to help prevent manage and treat that injury. That should give everyone peace of mind and confidence that sports safety is paramount.”
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association represents and supports 40,000 members of the athletic training profession. Visit nata.org for more information.
