Emergency game management.

Over a four-day period last winter, I had to battle a bad case of the flu and I came out the winner--I didn't miss a day of school.

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Like Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr., I just couldn't afford to be sick in my position. Not when I had the responsibility of game management.

But neither could I afford to play hero. By coming in those four days, I allowed the flue to linger for two weeks and let the accompanying fatigue last even longer.

Attendance can become an obsession with management people. You can begin talking to yourself when it comes time to call in sick. You check your schedule and say, "O.K., I don't have any games; I'll wait until tomorrow to be sick."

It puts you in a unique position. When a teacher is ill, he can call and get a substitute to replace him. When an assistant principal has to stay out, he'll usually have two or three other assistants to fill in for a day or two.

In my setting, I don't have an assistant A.D., a secretary, or even a student aide. So whom do I get to cover me? When I have to attend a major national or state conference, I have to ask the PE chair to cover for me and to prepare the necessary plans for the occasion.

In a special conversation with our PE Chair, he suggested that I prepare an emergency plan for each venue or event we host just the way we do for substitute teachers. These documents can then be put into a binder and placed in a spot accessible to substitutes.

These emergency game management plans will take some time to put together and will require periodic updating. But this will be easy to do on your computer.

What should be included in your emergency guidelines and what arrangements need to be made?

1. Inform several individuals--principal, assistant principals, and Physical Education Chairperson-where your plans will be kept. It might be a good idea to provide each of them with a copy, but remember that you can't keep your game management plans on your computer without giving everyone your password. Since this isn't a good idea in terms of computer security, it is best to provide the key people with a hardcopy, perhaps in a 3-ring binder, and to constantly keep them updated.

2. List the keys that will be necessary for each venue and, of course, where extra copies can be found. This is necessary because you also have to keep your keys at home in case of illness.

3. Provide detailed, step-by-step directions of what has to be done for each venue for the various events. For example, include:

* When to set up the ticket booth and scoreboard. The approximate times to start the various tasks have to be included and listed in chronological order.

* Where the phone numbers for security personnel and medical personnel for handling an emergency can be found?

* What you will need to take along to the venue? For the ticket booth at the stadium, for example, you will need to take along masking tape and a pen.

* Where and when to lock up the ticket receipts.

Don't assume or leave anything to chance. List everything that comes to mind.

4. In the event of inclement weather, who and when do you call? In our setting, these calls are made around 12 PM and go to:

* Opponents' AD

* Grounds crew

* Officials

* Bus dispatcher 

* Head of security

* Coaches

* Principal and Main Office secretaries

5. Let the person who will be covering for you know that you will handle the rescheduling effort when you return. This procedural information should also be conveyed to the others on your contact list.

6. Ask the fill-in AD to post a notice or submit a public address announcement to the Main Office in order to notify the athletes.

7. Instruct your replacement to record a message on your answering machine to handle all of those incoming questions concerning the game. It would also be helpful to place a notice on your website if that is possible. However, a substitute often will not have clearance or a password in order to make these changes.

8. Thank the person who covered for you when you return. Also, check to see if there were any problems and what changes or improvements might be needed for your emergency game management plans. Each time that your emergency plans are used, you may find something that needs to be added or improved. This should be considered normal and natural.

With a little planning and effort, you will be able to prepare for those occasions when you are ill. When you don't have to obsess over impending games and how they can proceed, you may be able to do the intelligent thing--stay home and get better. All good A.D.'s prepare for all contingencies. Have you?

You all have heard heavenly expressions such as "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" and "Second place is for losers."

Athletic competition is healthy. To strive to win is important.

People of all ages benefit from regular exercise and staying as physically fit as their general health allows.

Aerobic exercise is the most effective way of achieving physical and psychological benefits. An exercise is considered aerobic if it provides sustained physical activity (long-duration exercise for 20 minutes or more) of the major muscle groups.

SPONSORED BY PHILIPS

By Dr. David Hoch, Director of Athletics Loch Raven High School, Baltimore County, MD