Friday, May 18, 2018

Sports safety is always important, but when it comes to youth sports, keeping your kid protected on the field is a top priority. The Taylor Haugen Foundation cites these five tips for building the safest youth sports program possible, in schools and throughout other organizations serving school-age kids:

Post dedicated medical personnel on the sideline. For timely response to on-the-field injuries, it's vital that some sort of emergency medical service (EMS) (e.g., a licensed athletic trainer, paramedic, team doctor, or some other emergency unit) is actually along the sideline for every game (including warm-ups) in every sport.

Establish proper sideline protocols for injuries. Develop an action plan for game-time response to potential injuries, from minor sprains and cuts to major blunt-force impact that could result in significant trauma, such as a concussion or fracture or abdominal injury. (In secondary schools, serious sports-related abdominal injuries, such as those to the ribs, spleen and liver, are on the rise at an alarming rate.)  Coordinate the plan with the attending EMS.

Outfit your athlete with the proper protective equipment. Start by researching "sports protective equipment" or "sports safety gear" online. Also, determine which protective equipment is mandatory and what's optional for each sport, and understand how some non-mandatory products can help make a difference. For instance, there is a protective rib shirt on the market that can help protect against commotio cordis, an often-lethal disruption of heart rhythm that can occur from a blow to the area directly over the heart.

Partner with other parents. Talk openly and often—at parents' meetings, booster club gatherings and other events—to address the important questions about sports safety and proper protocols. Together, parents can raise questions with the coaches to ensure safety precautions are both in place and being taken seriously. Presenting a united front to coaches, principals, school boards, etc., can help parents demonstrate they mean business when it comes to advocating better safety protocols and equipment, including optional gear.

Talk to your kids about sports safety. Make sure they understand how to be as prepared and protected as possible for competition. Check for proper equipment fit and see that all the vulnerable bodily areas are adequately covered. In addition, some of the more recent regulations about contact in football have made the torso the logical target for hits, so make sure your athletes know how to tackle—and be tackled—without causing harm.

Source: Taylor Haugen Foundation

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