Do you have a risk management game plan in place?Football practice will soon start and many coaches are working hard on their playbooks and practice plans. No coach would dream of going into a game without a game plan. But how many coaches take the time to develop a risk management game plan in case something goes wrong during a practice or game? What do you do if a player goes down and says he can't feel his arms or legs? If he collapses on the field? How do you defend your program if you are involved in a lawsuit? It is too late to worry after a football accident occurs if proper procedures have not been followed. Football is at a crossroads. The number of adult helmet manufacturers has shrunk to three from as many as 15 in 1978. Some critics are attempting to abolish the game, questioning its educational and social value, or the financial commitment it takes to field a team. Other critics want to litigate it out of existence. Claims for injuries and their related costs are a significant expense for helmet manufacturers today. The role of the football coach has changed. Rather that simply coaching a team, he must run a program. This entails coaching, ordering and fitting equipment, risk management sports medicine sports medicine, branch of medicine concerned with physical fitness and with the treatment and prevention of injuries and other disorders related to sports. Knee, leg, back, and shoulder injuries; stiffness and pain in joints; tendinitis; "tennis elbow"; and , drug/alcohol/steroid education, academics, eligibility, public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most , and recruiting. If he is fortunate enough to work at an institution which employs an athletic trainer An athletic trainer is an allied (non-physician) health care provider capable of performing immediate and emergency injury management, injury assessment, and rehabilitation. and/or equipment manager, or others to help him, he may delegate some of these responsibilities. If not, he must be responsible for all facets of his program. Let's begin to develop a risk management game plan. STAFF INVOLVEMENT 1. There needs to be a definite chain of command established. Who reports to you? Who is your boss? Who does that person report to? 2. What staff member will establish and set policies for issues such as wearing a neck roll/collar, concussion concussion Period of nervous-function impairment that results from relatively mild brain injury, often with no bleeding in the cerebral cortex. It causes brief unconsciousness, followed by mental confusion and physical difficulties. evaluation and return to play/retire from participation, etc? Is it the football coach, athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic or ATC ATC Air Traffic Control ATC Average Total Cost ATC Certified Athletic Trainer ATC At the Center (Hartford, Maine retreat center) ATC Applied Technology Council ATC All Things Considered ? 3. What staff member will be responsible for the issuing and fitting of the varsity equipment as well as its maintenance? For the sake of consistency, one person should do this so that every player is fit the same. One suggestion would be that in the high-risk exposure areas, helmets and shoulder pads This article is about football protective equipment. For shoulder pads in fashion, see Shoulder pads (fashion). Shoulder pads are a piece of protective equipment used in American and Canadian football. , one person does both or one person does helmets and another does shoulder pads. Who will perform this function for the JV and freshman teams? 4. There needs to be full staff involvement and a unified approach by all involved. Spend time in your preseason staff meetings discussing how to prevent problems, e.g. heat stroke, heat exhaustion heat exhaustion, condition caused by overexposure to sunlight or another heat source and resulting in dehydration and salt depletion, also known as heat prostration. The symptoms are severe headaches, weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, and sometimes unconsciousness. , or transportation of an injured athlete. 5. If you have an athletic trainer, etc. allow him/her daily time in your meetings to discuss the status of injured players. PRIOR TO HITTING THE FIELD 1. Meet with parents (if applicable) and players at team meetings. Participation requires the acceptance of an assumption of risk. Informed consent will help to educate them as to injury risk potential. 2. Make players understand that safety is a shared responsibility. Do not assume the athletes know about safety when you begin teaching/coaching. 3. Place fitting posters/brochures in prominent places, such as the locker room area, training room, equipment room, players lockers, first page of the play book, etc. so the players are aware. Review your helmet fitting video prior to the helmet fitting session. 4. Eliminate all references from your playbook and teaching techniques regarding the use of the head as a point of contact in blocking/tackling. 5. Constantly upgrade your teaching techniques. Keep records of clinics you attended. 6. Do not buy or use old, faulty or improperly fitted equipment. Fit each player as if he were your own son. Every player is someone's son! 7. Issue and fit equipment on the first day rather than hand out equipment. 8. Provide a fitting brochure to each player as he is fitted. 9. Read the NOCSAE NOCSAE National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment warning sticker to team and ideally to each player as he is fitted. Explain why the sticker is on the back of the helmet. Have him sign a card with the NOCSAE warning stating that he has read the above, had it explained to him, and understands it to the best of his ability. 10. Keep the signed card with the warning on file. This procedure may prevent injuries and it is an excellent example of your policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental . 11. Fit every player every year. With helmets, there may not be much of a change but with shoulder pads, it is common for an athlete to change his physique physique /phy·sique/ (fi-zek´) the body organization, development, and structure. phy·sique n. The body considered with reference to its proportions, muscular development, and appearance. due to weight lifting weight lifting, international sport, also a training technique for athletes in other sports. From the earliest times men have lifted weights as a test of strength. . 12. Check helmets and shoulder pads on a regular basis. The same person responsible for the fitting should do this. 13. Document equipment handling by keeping records on computer, if possible. This should include: Date of purchase. * Dealer. * I.D number. * Date of issue, fitting and by whom. * Player to whom issued. * Description of maintenance, repairs and/or adjustments and by whom. * Date of recertification recertification Recredentialing Graduate education A process in which a professional is periodically re-evaluated–eg, every 10 yrs by an accrediting body to assure continued provision of safe, high-quality health care and by whom, especially important it is not the same reconditioned re·con·di·tion tr.v. re·con·di·tioned, re·con·di·tion·ing, re·con·di·tions To restore to good condition, especially by repairing, renovating, or rebuilding. helmet every year. 14. Have an annual review of your football accident plan to make sure it works. Consider it like the trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. Trick plays are highly risky, usually with a large potential for a loss of yards or turnover, but the payoff is often high with in your arsenal that you save for that one particular occasion. Be prepared for the following: Hot weather problems. * Football accidents. * Faceguard removal? By whom? How? * Player removal? * Phone/transmitter availability? * Notify parents/athletic director immediately--Who? * Notify helmet manufacturer immediately. Keep helmet in your possession and lock it up! 15. Whichever helmet system you use, be able to justify your purchase for reasons other than money. ON THE FIELD 1. Teach the athlete to respect the helmet as a protective device and not to use it as a weapon. 2. Explain and demonstrate butting, ramming and spearing as well as the accompanying dangers. 3. Constantly instruct proper/improper technique with proper language. Do not use any language that would imply using the head as the primary point of contact. 4. Instruct players to leave fallen or injured athletes alone. Do not roll them over! 5. Support officials who penalize pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. illegal helmet contact. Be concerned about injury prevention, not penalties. The expertise of the staff and the cooperation of the players are all important factors in injury prevention. Practice risk management wherever possible in your program to reduce your exposure. Don't put your program in jeopardy! The coaching fraternity needs to have a pro-active mentality rather than re-active when putting together a risk management game plan. References NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Sports Medicine Handbook; National Federation News. William "Billy" Rice is the national promotions manager for Schutt Sports. By William "Billy" Rice, Schutt Sports |
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