{"id":307,"date":"2008-07-07T13:12:00","date_gmt":"2008-07-07T18:12:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2017-08-07T11:43:32","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T16:43:32","slug":"program-and-facility-emergencies-in-youth-sports-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/program-and-facility-emergencies-in-youth-sports-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Program and Facility Emergencies in Youth Sports, Part II: Dealing with the Event"},"content":{"rendered":"
Submitted by: Richard Gershom, Ashland University and Kimberly Peer, Kent State University<\/div>\n

Communication
\nplays an integral role in the prevention of youth sport injuries, as the
\nevidence in Part I of this paper suggested. Communication regarding
\nexpectations, policy and procedures, and post-injury protocol can facilitate a
\nsafe youth sport environment. However, preventing youth sport injuries also
\ninvolves several other areas, such as protective equipment, strength and
\ncardiovascular conditioning, environmental and facility management, proper
\ncoaching, and proper nutrition and hydration. According to the American College
\nof Sports Medicine (1993), 50% of injuries that occur in children and
\nadolescents are preventable. Even when steps are taken to ensure safe
\nparticipation in youth sport programs, however, injuries will happen; what happens
\nbefore, during, and after an emergency can make the difference in the eventual outcome
\nof injuries.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Dealing with
\nemergencies in youth sport requires sufficient preparation and planning to
\nensure prompt resolution of the event. Prevention measures preclude injury or
\nhave the potential to reduce the severity of injuries and should thus be
\nconsidered most effective (Roberts, 1998). League administrators and youth
\ncoaches must ask and answer several questions: Who is the most qualified
\nindividual to treat injuries? Are the persons dealing with the emergencies
\nadequately prepared for a variety of emergency situations? Are coaches properly
\ntrained to coach? Are there mechanisms in place for prompt medical care? Coming
\nprepared with this kind of information prior to any emergency can promote
\noptimal medical care and prevent litigation.<\/p>\n

Coach and Parent Education<\/p>\n

To make decisions
\nin answer to the questions just reviewed, league administrators must understand
\nthe qualifications of coaches. The National Association of Sports and Physical
\nEducation (NASPE) has developed standards of fundamental competency that
\ncommunities, school systems, private leagues, parents, and athletes should require
\nof coaches. League administrators and parents are responsible for ensuring that
\nyouth coaches are appropriately qualified to supervise the sport in question and
\nto maintain a safe playing area and environment. Moreover, coaches should be
\nrequired to complete (at a minimum) a community course in first aid and CPR;
\nthere are several sport safety courses available as well that are recommended
\nfor all youth coaches.<\/p>\n

A critical
\ncomponent of caring for an injured athlete is familiarity with the medical
\nhistory and condition of the athlete. Before activity commences in any sport, each
\nathlete should undergo a pre-participation physical examination. This examination
\nshould be required of all <\/em>athletes prior to participation and should be
\ncomprehensive. Necessary checks include a medical physical to assess heart and
\nlung function; a medical history to identify any pre-existing problems and
\nfamily health history; a musculoskeletal examination assessing alignment,
\nstrength, flexibility, and laxity; a \u201cvitals\u201d examination ensuring heart rate,
\nblood pressure, height, and weight are appropriate for the individual; body
\ncomposition assessment; vision screening; and finally, a sport performance
\nassessment<\/em> determining whether the individual\u2019s cardiovascular condition
\nand strength are appropriate for the anticipated exertion.<\/p>\n

First Aid Equipment<\/p>\n

In addition to
\nfamiliarity with each athlete\u2019s health status, it is also key to have
\nappropriate emergency medical supplies available. Most youth leagues provide
\nfirst aid kits or small athletic trainer kits for each team. When preparing a
\nkit for a team in a given sport, it is crucial to plan for a broad scope of
\nneeds, stocking the kit properly to address all of them. Kits must be prepared before<\/em>
\neach practice or contest in order to be of reliable use. Having the correct
\nsupplies could be the difference in delivering essential care to an injured
\nathlete appropriately.<\/p>\n

Although a wide
\nvariety of first aid supplies can be helpful depending on the sport, there are
\nitems of common value across sports. Key items include the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. information such as phone
    \nnumbers, release forms, and emergency cards (as well as paper and pen)<\/li>\n
  2. instruments including paramedic
    \nscissors, tape cutters, tweezers, fingernail clippers, fingernail files,
    \nand a microshield or CPR mask<\/li>\n
  3. bandages and related supplies including
    \nathletic tape, tape adherent, underwrap, elastic tape, band-aids, gauze
    \npads, ace wraps, and petroleum jelly<\/li>\n
  4. splinting supplies including slings,
    \nsafety pins, finger splints and other splints, and crutches<\/li>\n
  5. eye care kit including contact
    \nsolution, contact case, saline, and a pocket mirror<\/li>\n
  6. miscellaneous items including
    \nrubber gloves, antiseptic cleaning solution, insect repellent, water
    \nbottles, ice chests and\/or coolers, tongue blades, and felt or foam
    \npadding material<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This list is not exhaustive but it provides
    \nthe foundation of a well-stocked sport first aid kit. In some sports, kits may
    \nneed to be augmented with items such as mouth pieces, nose plugs, analgesic rub,
    \nhand cream, sun glare, and feminine hygiene products. Organization of the kit
    \nis important in emergency situations when first aid must be provided quickly.
    \nSimilar items should be stored in the same area of the kit; there should be
    \nnothing unnecessary in the kit obscuring needed items that need to be located
    \nquickly following an injury.<\/p>\n

    Administrators and
    \nsupervising coaches must make certain that each youth coach is qualified to use
    \nand comfortable in using all first aid kit supplies. A general rule is not to
    \npack in the kit any supply with which the coach or coaches are uncomfortable.
    \nIt is important to designate one person to maintain the first aid kit and order,
    \nas needed, items replenishing the kit\u2019s supply.<\/p>\n

    Although they can
    \nbe expensive, first aid kits are highly recommended for all youth sport
    \nprograms. League commissioners typically determine who purchases kits and supplies
    \nto stock them. When there is no funding for emergency medical supplies, asking
    \nhealth care facilities and drug stores to donate supplies is a potential
    \ncourse; firefighting and other emergency departments may also be willing to
    \nhelp. League administrators and\/or coaches are ultimately responsible for
    \nproviding players with the best possible first aid should they be injured; the
    \nexpense of good first aid kits is, ultimately, relative.<\/p>\n

    After an Injury<\/p>\n

    Providing care is a
    \ntop priority in an emergency. Care can be provided best and most quickly when
    \nthose involved remain calm while activating appropriate medical assistance. When
    \na young athlete may be injured, it must always be remembered that nothing less
    \nthan his or her well-being is at stake. It is therefore better to err on the side
    \nof cautiousness, when in doubt about the injury or first aid, by seeking
    \nadditional medical assistance immediately. It should also be remembered that
    \nchildren\u2019s and adolescents\u2019 bodies are distinct from the adult\u2019s and cannot
    \nalways be treated in the same way. Therefore, it is always recommended that a
    \nyoung athlete seek medical attention from a physician for any injury that does
    \nnot improve in a short period.<\/p>\n

    Fortunately, most
    \ninjuries in youth sports are not complicated and can be resolved with little
    \nmedical intervention. Often, the best approach is what has been called, for
    \nease of memory, RICE, <\/em>which stands for rest, ice, compression,<\/em>
    \nand elevation.<\/em> Rest the injured area by supporting it with a sling, splint,
    \nor crutches. Ice the injury for approximately 20 min at a time. Compress the
    \narea with an elastic bandage to control swelling. Finally, elevate the area
    \nabove the level of the heart, also to manage swelling. These steps comprise a standard
    \nand long-advocated treatment for many sport injuries.<\/p>\n

    When an emergency
    \nhas occurred and first aid has been rendered, notification of certain
    \nindividuals becomes necessary, when those individuals are not present at the
    \nsport facility. Again, parent phone numbers and the league commissioner\u2019s phone
    \nnumber, along with emergency numbers, should be kept easily available in the
    \nfront of the first aid kit. It is also recommended that useful emergency information
    \nis provided as a courtesy to each visiting team, for example on a reference
    \ncard. Having access to emergency numbers and directions to nearby hospitals is
    \ngreatly appreciated by teams unfamiliar with an area.<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/p>\n

    All sports pose
    \nsome injury risk. While coaches and administrators should make every effort to
    \nkeep that risk as low as possible, they must also ensure that appropriate care
    \nis available in the event an injury does occur. Injury-prevention programs are
    \nadvocated by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and are readily
    \navailable to the general public (Purvis & Burke, 2001). Completing the programs
    \ncan help prepare youth coaches to manage emergency situations. Furthermore,
    \nyouth sports leagues are well advised to maintain a written emergency plan that
    \nstaff know how to implement. The plan should be reviewed yearly by league
    \nofficials, coaches, parents, and care providers from the local community\u2019s emergency
    \nmedical service. It is important that this plan be reviewed yearly due to the
    \ntypically high number of changes in coaching staff each year.<\/p>\n

    References<\/p>\n

    American
    \nCollege of Sports Medicine (1993). The prevention of sports injuries of
    \nchildren and adolescents. Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise, 25<\/em>(8),
    \n1\u20137.<\/p>\n

    National
    \nAssociation of Sport and Physical Education. National standards for athletic
    \ncoaches.<\/em> Reston, VA: Author.<\/p>\n

    Purvis,
    \nJ. M., & Burke, R. G. (2001). Recreational injuries in children: Incidence
    \nand prevention. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 9<\/em>(6),
    \n365\u2013374.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Roberts,
    \nW. O. (1998). Keeping sports safe: Physicians should take the lead. The
    \nPhysician and Sports Medicine, 26<\/em>(5).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Submitted by: Richard Gershom, Ashland University and Kimberly Peer, Kent State University<\/div>\n

    Communication
    \nplays an integral role in the prevention of youth sport injuries, as the
    \nevidence in Part I of this paper suggested. Communication regarding
    \nexpectations, policy and procedures, and post-injury protocol can facilitate a
    \nsafe youth sport environment. However, preventing youth sport injuries also
    \ninvolves several other areas, such as protective equipment, strength and
    \ncardiovascular conditioning, environmental and facility management, proper
    \ncoaching, and proper nutrition and hydration. According to the American College
    \nof Sports Medicine (1993), 50% of injuries that occur in children and
    \nadolescents are preventable. Even when steps are taken to ensure safe
    \nparticipation in youth sport programs, however, injuries will happen; what happens
    \nbefore, during, and after an emergency can make the difference in the eventual outcome
    \nof injuries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[295,292,291,296],"tags":[112,23,66],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-4X","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":236,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/crowd-management-past-and-contemporary-issues\/","url_meta":{"origin":307,"position":0},"title":"Crowd Management: Past and Contemporary Issues","date":"March 8, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Spiro G. 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In addition to competing, the team members and their family and\/or friends are able to tour the countries, cities and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports Facilities"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":408,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/a-coachs-responsibility-learning-how-to-prepare-athletes-for-peak-performance\/","url_meta":{"origin":307,"position":5},"title":"A Coach’s Responsibility: Learning How to Prepare Athletes for Peak Performance","date":"February 14, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Scott R. Johnson, Pamela J. Wojnar, William J. Price, Timothy J. Foley, Jordan R. Moon, Enrico N. Esposito, and Fred J. Cromartie ### Abstract The coaching profession is ever-changing and coaches at each level of sport competition need to know more than just the Xs and Os in order to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports Coaching"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":831,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions\/831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}