Category: Secondary School

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School staff and fire crews train for football season

CCISD wanted to make sure that the athletic trainers and the fire department were ready for football season. on the same page. They offered a special training for both of them Thursday to talk about possible football injuries and how to treat them.

“If we start the whole process of assisting the individual before they get their then we already have the oxygen flowing or we already have the spine board. Its going to assist tremendously ,” said David Sanchez District Athletic Trainer.

So today trainers from every high school in CCISD discussed some of the injuries that happen on the field like neck and spine injuries.

“We are doing training on removing the face mask so we can get to the airway.As well as removing the equipment so we can pack them on a spine board so we can get them to the emergency department,” said Blake George Athletic Trainers for Ray High School.

Everyone also learned about the different equipments not every team has the same type of football helmet. Even though they are rivals on the field, they need to be able to help each other out when needed.

“If I’m the only the athletic trainer there I can treat the Carroll student as well as the Ray student with the same effort with the same quickness and get them to the emergency room ,” said George.

All of those practices were put to test today.

“Their is a lot of new equipment that is out their and we don’t want to be caught without the proper tools or not having that experience of taking off something that we need to take off,” said David Sanchez athletic trainer.

“It be beneficial to the school districts the fire department and most importantly the students that we serve,” said Jose Gonzalez assistant fire chief with Corpus Christi Fire Department

The training was held at the fire station, and both departments hope to continue and do more trainings for the upcoming sports in the school districts.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.kristv.com/story/29675152/school-staff-and-fire-crews-train-for-football-season

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Florida HS Association requires athletes to study up on concussions

For the past five years, the Florida High School Athletic Association has made sure its coaches were educated about concussions. Now it’s making sure student-athletes are as well.

Beginning this season, all high school athletes in Florida must complete courses on concussions provided by the National Federation of State High School Associations before being eligible. The courses are free and available online. Once student-athletes complete the course, they and their parent or guardian must sign a form. They also will get a certificate of completion which must remain on file with the coach of each sport.

The FHSAA promises random checks throughout the school year. If coaches can’t provide proof of completion, they will be suspended until all players complete the course. Student-athletes on varsity and junior varsity levels, including for non-contact events such as golf, cross country and swimming, must take the course.

“The reason behind the move was student-athlete safety,” said Justin Harrison, the FHSAA’s associate executive director for athletic services. “Overall, all concerned parties felt it was imperative to continue to educate the student-athletes on concussions. … This course was yet another way to provide the information.”

Harrison said Florida is the first state to require all student-athletes to be versed on concussions. The FHSAA board of directors passed the policy in June. Member schools’ coaches and athletic directors were made aware of the policy change soon after.

The course is available at www.nfhslearn.com, where student-athletes are directed to the proper courses.

The fall sports will be the policy’s guinea pigs. Football, with its large rosters, might have the hardest time making sure all student-athletes obtain a completion certificate. Fall sports teams can begin preseason practices in less than a week.

St. Petersburg football coach Joe Fabrizio, who has a roster of over 100 players including varsity and junior varsity, said he will gather his teams this week to view the course and take the online test.

“We’re okay with it,” Fabrizio said. “Anytime you can give the kids more knowledge on a subject like concussions I don’t have a problem with it. We’re going to show them the test (this) week and make sure it’s taken care of.”

At Plant, coach Robert Weiner has close to 150 players including varsity and junior varsity. He said he found out about the test early and made sure all his players earned a certificate well before the start of Monday’s practices.

“It might be a bit of a burden but it’s also important,” Weiner said. “We made sure we took our time and went through it to give the kids an opportunity to really learn it. We’re trying to get away from the days of being a tough guy and faking (a concussion) and trying to be a hero. The more they know the more they can deal with it honestly and communicate with us honestly.”

Hudson coach Rob Mahler said he also will make sure his players earn their certificates before practices start.

“We all have a lot on our plate and this is one more thing that adds up,” Mahler said. “There are physicals and paperwork and fundraisers. But I do think that it is important that they know this so it is something we’ll deal with.”

Not all coaches are happy about having yet another piece of paperwork. Pinellas Park coach Kenny Crawford said he didn’t find out about the new concussion rule until being told Monday.

“It’s the first I’m hearing about it,” Crawford said. “I don’t think the kids learn a whole lot from these tests. They are so common sense. To me, it’s pretty clear cut. As soon as you even think a player may have a concussion you turn it over to your medical staff. It’s out of your hands. You can’t risk it when it comes to concussions.”

Coaches have had to take courses on concussions and sudden cardiac arrests for the past five years. Pasco County recently held a clinic for football coaches funded by Florida Hospital and the Tampa Bay Bucs and run by USA Football’s Heads Up program. A designated coach from each of Pasco County’s 13 public high schools went through a one-day training focusing on in-class and onfield training about concussions, cardiac arrest, heat issues and proper hydration, equipment fitting, and tackling and blocking techniques.

“It was good to get all the coaches together in one room and talk about different circumstances that have happened to them,” Mahler said. “And we were out there going through the same drills that we put our players through. So I think it was very beneficial from that standpoint.”

Recently, Pasco County has stepped up efforts to educate its staff and the public about the health of student-athletes. Amy Lipovetsky, Pasco County’s program coordinator for athletics, said the county will have a full-time trainer at each public school for the first time. Additionally, she hopes to receive funding again next summer for another concussion training that will include middle-school coaches.

“I think it’s good to educate everyone we can about this,” Lipovetsky said. “The student-athletes and the parents are going to get this information a lot. I don’t think you can get it enough.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/footballpreps/fhsaa-requires-athletes-to-study-up-on-concussions/2239008

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Athletic Trainer Bree Clayton Provides heat illness expertise

Warm weather brings the joys of summer, but also a few additional risks for active children and teens.

Athletic Trainer Bree Clayton from Arkansas Children’s Hospital stopped by THV11 This Morning with tips on how to keep them safe.

Why are young athletes at such risk for heat illness?

-Children and teens don’t get rid of heat through sweat as effectively as adults

-Young athletes often are disciplined enough to make themselves drink

-During practices and games, young athletes are easily distracted and they forget to take breaks and hydrate

Is heat illness still a worry for young athletes, even when we’ve had cooler weather like recently?

– Cooler weather recently means that young athletes are not as acclimatized to warmer temperatures

– Humidity is as important as temperature-with high humidity even temperatures in the 80’s can create dangerous a dangerous heat index

– Full sun exposure can also add as much as 15 degrees to the heat index

– Practice surface, especially artificial turf, also adds radiant heat

– Heat illness can even occur indoors if the temperature is not being controlled.

What are the signs parents/coaches should look for in their young athletes if they suspect heat illness?

– Noticeable Thirst

– Muscle Cramps

– Weakness

– Decreased Performance

– Nausea

– Headache

– Fatigue

– Lightheaded feeling or dizziness

– Difficulty paying attention

What is the best way to prevent it?

– Acclimatization-spending progressively longer times exercising outdoors is very important

– Good night’s sleep

– Well balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables

– Plenty of water and sports drinks

–Avoid products that contain lots of sugar and caffeine

–Absolutely no energy drinks! They can actually raise your body temperature.

– Wear as few layers as possible of light weight, moisture wicking material

– Change into dry clothes often

 

Will it help to wear a cooling bandana or other type of cooling towel when they are practicing in pads/helmet and playing games?

– Headbands and cooling towels are only helpful if they stay exposed to the wind.

– If they become wet and stay wet and are under shoulder pads and helmets, they are just going to trap heat in.

– Great for after practice, but probably not good to wear during practice.

What should parents ask of coaches to know that there is a plan in place to address heat illness?

– What type of rest plan does the coach have in place?

– Where can athletes go to cool off during breaks?

– How often are players allowed to drink water during practice?

– What is the school’s plan to treat an athlete that overheats?

– Does the school have an emergency action plan?

– Who monitors the athletes during practice to make sure they are not overheating?

Is water better than sports drinks for preventing heat illness or does it matter?

– Drinking compliance is the key!

– Water is better for overall hydration, but if kids do not like it they won’t drink it.

– Sports drinks have flavor so often times athletes are more likely to drink them.

What role can parents play in keeping their young athletes healthy during the heat?

– Have plenty of their favorite flavor of sports drink at home for before and after practice

– Make sure to have healthy snacks at home.

– Provide well balance meals and make sure your athlete eats-if they are tired they may not feel like, but encourage it

– Allow them to rest indoors in the air conditioning after practice

What should your first steps be if you identify heat illness in your child or another young athlete?

– If minor symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or cramping:

–Rest in a cool place

–Remove wet, constricting clothes

— Give them plenty of water and sports drink

– If they collapse, lose consciousness, or become confuse this is an emergency and could be a heat stroke

–Cool them as rapidly as possible

—Ice bath is preferred method

—Ice packs over as much of body as possible

—Cold shower or ice towels

–Dial 9-1-1

–Remember to cool first and transport second

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.thv11.com/story/news/health/2015/07/27/keeping-active-teens-children-safe-during-warm-weather/30723431/

 

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David Hamen and Aaron Sage implement New Ohio guidelines

When high school football practice begins for the 2015 season in Ohio on Saturday, coaches and players will be functioning under a new set of national guidelines addressing concussions, which was adopted and introduced by the Ohio High School Athletic Association on July 13.

In a memo to the OHSAA membership of more than 700 high schools, commissioner Dan Ross said the association “has joined dozens of states in adopting recommendations from the National Federation of State High School Associations’ Concussion Summit Task Force, which will reduce the risk in football for concussions and head impact exposure.

Ross has long stated that the top priority of the OHSAA is the safety of its athletes, and the new guidelines are designed to give football coaches some direction in the intended reduction, recognition, and treatment of head injuries in practices and games.

“With the support and leadership from the football coaches association, we have been out in front of concussion awareness and education, and these changes will now bring Ohio up to a place as a national leader in this area,” Ross stated in the memo. “Like many of our regulations, these guidelines are to be followed and monitored by member schools and coaches, but we are fortunate in Ohio that many coaches have already been following these safety measures.

“There will always be a risk for concussion, but football is safer now than it has ever been, and these guidelines will make it even safer.”

According to the OHSAA memo, the three principles that the guidelines reflect include exposure of an individual athlete to full contact in terms of frequency and duration, the cumulative effect of the exposure on an individual athlete, and recovery time for each athlete after contact.

The recommendations adopted include spring, summer and all off-season contact. Already the rule in Ohio, there is no contact permitted except during the season, and pads may not be worn at any time except during the season.

The new guidelines are aimed at preseason practice and practice during the season.

New to preseason practice, full contact will be limited during two-a-day practices.

When more than one practice takes place in a day, full contact is permitted only during one of the practices. Further, if full contact occurs during the second session of two-a-days, full contact will not be permitted during the first session the following day.

Once the season has begun, individual athletes are limited in full contact on consecutive days to 30 minutes in practice per day and to 60 minutes per practice week. An athlete can only be involved in full contact in a maximum of two practices in a seven-day span.

Contact with soft equipment such as bags, shields, sleds, etc., does not count toward full contact limitations.

“These regulations are being put into place for the safety of our student-athletes, and it is incumbent on coaches to monitor the contact in their practices,” Ross said. “Our coaches are educators and leaders. They want what’s best for kids, and these regulations are in line with these safety recommendations.

“These regulations will evolve and may become more restrictive as additional concussion research emerges.”

Adapting to the changes

The changes adopted by the OHSAA will not be viewed as drastic to most Ohio high school football programs, as many coaches had already become more vigilant to the potential for head injuries.

Head coaches at three of the Toledo area’s top football programs from recent seasons each said they have long been aware of the danger of concussions, and that the safety of their players is paramount.

Last season, coach Matt Kregel’s Perrysburg team finished 11-1 and was the top-ranked Division II team in Ohio. Greg Dempsey has coached Central Catholic to three state playoff championships in the past 10 years (2005, 2012, 2014). Whitmer’s Jerry Bell guided his 14-1 Panthers to a Division I state runner-up finish in 2012.

“I think we’ve always done a good job of controlling the hitting,” Kregel said. “We don’t have enough kids to two-platoon, so we have to monitor the hitting ourselves. I don’t think [the new OHSAA rules] will have a huge effect on us and how we coach things.

“We monitor ourselves. It’s a common-sense approach. We’ve always done it this way, and the good coaches in the area that I’ve talked to have said they’ve always done it this way.

“I don’t think this is going to have a huge effect on how guys coach high school football. At least for the guys who do the right thing and are concerned about the kids.”

Safety is first and foremost.

“I definitely think things have to be done to protect the kids that participate in football,” Dempsey said. “And, by doing so, you’re protecting the future of the sport.

“You definitely need to be better educated, and there needs to be some parameters set.

“I’d say 99 percent of the coaches are doing it right. But there’s some people who, for whatever reason, usually cause rules like this to be put into effect.”

Even though they already have the athletes’ safety in mind, there will be extra incentive for coaches to adhere tightly to the full-contact limitations.

“All it takes is one parent who’s unhappy with playing time to say ‘You’re hitting too much throughout the week,’ ” Bell said. “We’re going to monitor that throughout our practice plans and make sure we have it right.

“It’s for the safety of our kids. When you look at the way people are practicing nowadays, I think that we already err on the side of caution with concussions to begin with in making sure that the drills we’re doing are putting safety first, and teaching kids the fundamentals of the game.

“Over the years, we’ve learned how to do that without full contact. We want our kids healthy throughout the season, especially with the schedule we play. When I look at the new rules, it really doesn’t change much in how we practice. We’ve been doing this for years.”

Out with the old

Kregel, Dempsey, and Bell have each been around the game long enough to see the evolution of high school football practice from a more physically demanding and dangerous past to today’s more sensible training methods.

That includes greater awareness of head injuries.

“You can’t beat your kids up,” Kregel said. “There were years in the past when everybody was two tight ends and I-formations when that’s all you did was line up and bang. That’s not the case anymore. The guys who have sense will do it the right way.

“The guys who want to stretch the rules and do it the wrong way, I think that’s who this rule is for — to protect those kids. At the beginning of two-a-days, you’ll still have some kind of one-on-one, man-up kind of drills. You’ll do that for 10 minutes. Everybody bangs, and then you go to the next drill.

“But you do something where you’re not hitting full speed. We never just line up and knock the living crap out of each other for an hour and a half.

“I think that’s the direction football is going in. It’s not blood and guts and knocking the crap out of each other. You have to be smart about how you conduct business.”

Dempsey believes today’s high school football is a much safer version of the game.

“I feel better about kids playing football now than ever because of the awareness and the education and the protocol,” Dempsey said. “We’re much more aware and, when an event happens, the protocol for a kid’s return is much safer.

“If a concussion happens, it’s something we’ve got to watch. If two of them happen, it’s something we’ve really got to watch. Right now, I believe it’s as safe as it can be to play football.

“I think we know more about [recognizing concussions] now. It used to be macho to hide stuff as a player, and coaches used to make remarks about a kid having ‘his eggs scrambled’ and stuff like that. It’s much different now. You might even have some things now that are labeled as a concussion that really aren’t. But it’s better to err on the side of caution than it is to ignore it, which is what used to happen.”

Bell sees current high school coaches as much more enlightened regarding the dangers of the game.

“Overall, our coaching profession is very good at understanding the game and understanding the fundamentals, and how to teach the kids the fundamentals without putting them at risk,” Bell said. “The days of you running drills like ‘bull in the ring’ are long gone at the high school level. “With the research that they have done on concussions, and looking at long-term factors for kids with how it can impact them as adults, us being proactive on this is a step in the right direction.

“We can teach and do our jobs without having to put our kids at risk during the training sessions, and still have them function at a high level and be able to make a sound tackle and a good block with these new procedures in place.”

A watchful eye

According to information provided by the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of a concussion might include headache or a feeling of pressure in the head, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion or feeling as if in a fog, amnesia surrounding the traumatic event, dizziness or ‘seeing stars,’ ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, delayed response to questions, appearing dazed, and fatigue.

Coaches might not have the ability to diagnose such symptoms, but they have athletic trainers on hand at nearly all practices and every game, and many high school games are staffed by a team physician.

Perrysburg, Central, and Whitmer have a team doctor on hand at every game.

The coaches rely heavily on their athletic trainers to recognize potential concussions. Whitmer, like many area schools, utilizes athletic trainers provided through Mercy Sports Medicine, a division of Mercy Health.

Athletic trainers David Hamen and Aaron Sage work full-time with Panther athletics.

Hamen has been an athletic trainer since 2003 after earning his bachelor of science degree from Bowling Green State University. He has worked with Whitmer athletes since 2008.

As the 2015 football season approaches, Hamen has been busy utilizing one of the most important tools available to medical personnel in recognizing concussions.

He has been conducting what is called baseline testing for all of Whitmer’s fall season athletes who will be competing in contact sports. Nearly the entire football team has already been tested and placed in the accompanying computer system.

The trainers utilize Mercy Health’s ImPACT evaluation procedure to help diagnose concussions in athletes.

ImPACT, which stands for Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, utilizes neurocognitive baseline and post-injury testing to evaluate the athlete’s normal cognitive ability (baseline) versus his or her cognitive ability after a head trauma.

Mercy Health touts that this procedure — comparing baseline to post-injury function — as “the most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system.”

In a nutshell, each individual athlete takes an online test to establish his or her normal “baseline” cognitive ability. When a possible head injury has occurred, athletes are retested to see if there has been a measurable dropoff in their cognitive performance.

“It’s a series of different tests,” Hamen said of ImPACT. “Some of it is a memorization of words, some of it is memorization of shapes or patterns. It gives us a baseline for where the kids are [in normal cognitive state].

“If we ever suspect there is a concussion, we’ll have the kid sit down and take the test again. It will give us a readout of where they were initially and where they are now. Depending on the score, it will give us a better idea if there’s a potential concussion there, and to seek further help. It’s a tool for us to help identify concussions, and to protect our kids.”

The high school football season, for most Ohio teams, begins Aug. 28.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/537483

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Athletic trainers urge caution as teenage athletes begin hot summer practices

Last year, six out of 11 high school football player deaths were blamed on heart conditions, heat stroke or drinking too much water too fast. This year, athletic trainers are asking schools to implement emergency preparedness procedures to avoid health-related issues triggered by heat.

“It shouldn’t be that a kid has to die for the school to be prepared,” Jonathan Drezner, a University of Washington sports medicine physician and co-author of an editorial in the Journal of Athletic Training, told Reuters.

Among the recommendations by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association: schools should have automated external defibrillators on hand. But only 19 states have laws mandating them. In fact, just 14 states have adopted all of the organization’s best practices.

Another recommendation: Make sure athletes acclimate to the heat and intensity. Yet another: schools should have a full-time athletic trainer; currently, 37 percent of schools do, according to the editorial in the Journal of Athletic Training. Many schools also schedule practices for evening or early morning hours to avoid the heat.

In Kansas City, Mo., for example, the football team recently started practice indoors in an air-conditioned gym, according to KMBC, heading outdoors after the sun set.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include swollen hands or feet, cramps or lightheadedness, according to Philly.com. Symptoms of more serious dehydration include confusion, lack of coordination, skin that is hot and dry, nausea, goose bumps and headaches. Athletes with those symptoms should be cooled immediately, preferably via whole body ice water immersion. And call 911, Dr. Thomas Trojian advises via Philly.com.

Some health experts think athletes should have electrocardiograms (EKGs) during their athlete physicals, the Miami Herald points out, to catch potential heart problems.  Some hospitals have even started offering them to kids for free. But others, including the American Heart Association, say both the costs and possibility of inaccurate screenings mean the tests should not be mandatory.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://bringmethenews.com/2015/07/25/athletic-trainers-urge-caution-as-teenage-athletes-begin-hot-summer-practices/

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Waxahachie’s AT David “Doc” Bowdoin featured in article about heat illness

Temperatures nearing triple digits, seldom cloud coverage, and long days. There isn’t a better time to be outside.

Most kids in high school are probably spending their summers inside where air conditioning is on full blast.

But for athletes on the Waxahachie football team, a typical day consists of morning workouts at the gym followed by conditioning that takes them outside where two-a-days start in a few weeks.

As it stands, football players have a grace period between spring training and the first day of official practices, which is the second Monday in August, per UIL mandate.

Coaches are not allowed to hold practices during the summer, leaving off-season training up to the athletes between May and August.

And although athletes might not like working out in the summer because of the heat, maybe instead they should embrace it, said David “Doc” Bowdoin, Waxahachie’s head athletic trainer.

“When you’re talking about heat, you’re not going to get away from it in Texas unless you get an El Niño season when it’s cooler,” Bowdoin said. “And you’re going to play in it. When we go to Midlothian, we’re going to be sitting in a hole. And on that turf, it’ll probably be 115 degrees at game time. Maybe more.”

Waxahachie opens its season at Midlothian on Aug. 28 and unlike Lumpkins Stadium, the field at Midlothian’s Multi-Purpose Stadium was built beneath the ground, making it hotter during the summertime.

But if the players at Waxahachie become as used to the heat as they should, said Bowdoin, then there won’t be any health issues come game day.

“I truly believe that you have to get those kids exposed out there. Because that’s what they’re going to be playing in,” Bowdoin said. “You have to get them out there in it, but you have to be careful. Have to be real careful.”

Heat illnesses aren’t uncommon for football players, especially those in Texas where temperatures typically reach the high 90s and stay there for the duration of the summer.

That’s why Bowdoin and Indians head coach Jon Kitna take no exception to stressing the importance of heat awareness to athletes and parents.

At a recent parent player meeting, Kitna highlighted three of the four heat related disorders: cramps, syncope, and exhaustion. Heat stroke is the final stage of a disorder and can result in death as the body stops secreting sweat to cool itself down, Bowdoin said.

Waxahachie’s goal is to avoid the final stage at all costs, which is why Kitna and Bowdoin emphasize the other three disorders with the intent to get high school athletes to understand just how vital it is to drink fluids and eat, especially in the summer.

“The heat isn’t going anywhere. It’s not disappearing at all,” Bowdoin said. “The cramps and stuff that you see during games, we can deal with that. What you don’t want is to get them so bad where they’re nauseous, vomiting, in-and-out of consciences, stuff like that because then that tells you they’re so depleted, they’ve lost so much fluid and stuff that their body doesn’t want to do it anymore and that’s when you have to make a decision.”

As severe as some of the symptoms are for heat illnesses, Bowdoin said it’s still difficult to teach athletes the importance of taking precautions and bracing yourself for working out in the heat.

Bowdoin has worked in sports medicine the last 24 years and has been the athletic trainer at Waxahachie for 21 of those years.

He’s seen it all when it comes to high school athletes working out in the summer.

Since beginning his career at Texas Christian University, he’s also seen the changing influence PlayStation’s and Xbox’s have had on students.

“They want to stay inside and play their video games and that’s cool, but when I was growing up we were outside all the time. We were used to it,” Bowdoin said. “The dynamics have changed in society.”

PlayStation, however, isn’t the only thing that’s changed since Bowdoin was a trainer for the Horned Frogs.

He’s also seen technology improve and how different medical practices are more beneficial today.

“In the old days, you fill up an ice tub full of cold water, no matter how cold it is, and you dunk them in it. That’s not good,” Bowdoin said. “We’ve learned now that if we do that with a kid that’s having some problems with heat illness, the later stages maybe or in between stages, you send the body into shock and you drive the heat that’s inside their body further down and it damages their organs. Our answer to that is cool water, not just cold cold cold water.”

In addition to changing treatment methods, Bowdoin also said teams have adjusted their workouts so athletes can respond better to the heat.

“Instead of just running wind sprints back in the old school days where you run 100 yards and turn around and run another 100 yards, the coaches do some things like dynamic stretching and dynamic ballistic stretching,” he said. “They do different types of conditioning. We’ve got a lot smarter with that.”

Given Waxahachie’s new direction on offense and defense, the Indians will rely heavily on their speed, which comes from conditioning, Bowdoin said.

Kitna and the coaching staff have been implementing a spread offense, similar to what Baylor University runs and plan to go without huddling this season.

The increase in pace could be a toll on the player’s, but the goal for the team is to suffocate each of their opponents based on their speed, Bowdoin said.

“You have to be in shape. It’s a necessity based on upon what we want to do,” he said.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.waxahachietx.com/waxahachietx/bowdoin-get-used-to-heat/article_da6246e3-3381-5b06-ad69-d314efcdfadb.html

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Concussion protocols heading in right direction in Indiana

It was the fall of 2013, and the Northeastern High School football team was in the middle of a run toward the program’s first Tri-Eastern Conference championship.

With an 8-0 lead against Centerville, Northeastern’s star quarterback Joey Claypoole was shaken up during a play and removed for the remainder of the game.

Claypoole stood on the sidelines, and to outsiders, looked perfectly fine.

The symptoms of a potential concussion were not visible to most spectators, and head coach Mike Roeder, Claypoole and the Knights took criticism, for it was the biggest game remaining in the conference season.

Eventually, Centerville rallied for a 34-22 victory over Northeastern, forcing what was at the time a three-way tie atop the conference.

Roeder maintains he made the right call.

“If a trainer or an official or a coach thinks there might be something there, you have to honor that,” Roeder said.

“Sometimes there is nothing there and it kind of frustrates you, but the other end of it is, if you do put someone back in, they could be harmed for the rest of their lives. Nobody wants to take that chance.”

Roeder’s coaching staff faced a dilemma seen too often from coaches and high school athletes.

Revelations from former professional athletes have shown concussions have potential for long-term damages.

The Indiana High School Athletics Association recently has implemented new standards and requirements to ensure players are cleared before returning to competition after a possible concussion.

The IHSAA also requires coaches at every level to take online courses on what to do in case of a concussion, while starting a new data collection study this past sports season.

“I think it’s very important. I think the responsibility of us collectively as an association, a staff, as a member school, administrators and coaches — I think we have a collective duty to ensure the health and safety of our athletes,” IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox said.

“Everyone is responsible, we can do all we want with it, but if we don’t have cooperative parents, we’re not going to be successful. We can have cooperative parents, but if we have schools that don’t enforce these standards; if the association is not providing vehicles — it’s a collective effort.”

According to data provided by Cox and the IHSAA, there were a total of 2,194 instances of concussions reported to the IHSAA this past season among all sports.

Hamilton Southeastern topped the state with 65, followed by Bishop Chatard at 48.

Like the incident involving Claypoole, the symptoms of a concussion might not be visible right away, but it differs from other injuries because of the sensitivity of the brain.

“For us, obviously what makes it so bad, you’re messing with a person with a young person’s head and cognitive function potential cognitive ability. That’s one of those things there should be no gray area in regards to siding on the side of safety when it comes to concussions,” Richmond coach Matt Holeva said.

“Not to minimize other forms of injuries, but bumps and bruises are going to heal with today’s technology. Just 10, 15 years ago a torn ACL would ruin a young person’s career even at the high school level. Now with medicine — obviously no one wants to see those injures — but those injuries are repairable to some degree. Obviously, when you’re dealing with the human mind and the brain, there’s so much to learn.”

Hagerstown athletic director Gerry Keesling formerly coached football at Earlham College in Richmond. He cautions that helmets only can do so much.

“I think our football players are in the best helmets in the history of the game,” he said. “I think there’s no such thing as a concussion-preventing helmet, there’s nothing out there, because the helmet doesn’t protect the brain, it protects the skull, depending on the space between the brain and the skull. You don’t read anything about fractured skulls. We can’t protect the brain inside the skulls.”

To help prevent concussions, Keesling, Cox, Roeder and Holeva emphasize proper tackling techniques and teaching them at a younger level.

“The best thing is the way you teach tackling,” Roeder said. “We’ve taken the head completely out of it. We do not teach it that way at all. Pete Carroll (head coach) with the Seattle Seahawks has developed a style called ‘The hawkroll,’ where you teach these guys to come in and keep their heads out of it.

“It seems to work. Our kids took to it. They took some pride to learn how to do it right. As far as ball carriers, if a ball carrier lowers their head before impact, they can be penalized.”

Football gets the most attention, but it’s not the only sport where athletes suffer concussions.

A study from the University of Colorado was released earlier this week on concussions in soccer that demonstrated most concussions don’t come from heading the ball but from collisions among athletes.

“There has to be some correlation with long-term brain damage and doing that over the course of a lifetime if you continue to do it,” Richmond soccer coach Matt Haynes said. “People are more worried about dangerous high kicks, (but) head-on-head collisions are the worst.”

Haynes also alluded to a recent World Cup game where Germany forward Alexandra Popp banged heads with United States midfielder Morgan Brian.

Both returned quickly after being checked by doctors, despite the fact that Popp had blood soaking her head.

According to Germany’s coach, Popp had a laceration but no concussion.

“At that level, what does a coach say?” Haynes said. “At that level, a professional says, ‘I’m going back in.’ Kids at this (high school) level, you have a bit of authority, saying, ‘No you’re not.'”

For Courtney McCord, a two-year athletic trainer at Richmond High School, it’s taken time to adjust.

She says male athletes tend to fight back against leaving a competition more than female athletes do.

“It’s such a hot topic, I usually err on the side of caution,” she said. “They only do have one brain. High school sports are a part of their lives, but in the long term, I usually err on the side of caution. I don’t think that makes them too happy because they want to keep playing.”

When players hit their heads, or appear to be banged up, McCord checks for dilated pupils, dizziness, strange behaviors and thirst.

She also conducts memory exercises, such as asking them to recite the months backwards starting with December and giving athletes five words to check their memory recall.

There is no perfect cure for concussions, but from the IHSAA down to schools, coaches, officials and student-athletes, strides are being made to minimize the damage.

“I think that they’ve made a lot of good steps in the right direction,” McCord said. “Just seeing how old football players, old athletes are now having that problems from undiagnosed concussions, they’ve definitely made steps in educating everyone.

“… I think parents are more understanding of it, older generations of parents they’d be like, ‘Oh I did this many, many times.’ I think parents are more aware and understanding of when you want to hold their kids out.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/07/21/indiana-high-school-football-concussion-protocol-prevention-ihsaa/30455109/

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Football practice starts soon • Summer heat a big concern

It’s scorching hot, and once again as football practice time nears, coaches are concerned.

“Maybe we will get a break in it,” said Sam Pearson, head coach of the Marshall Academy Patriots.

At the same time, Pearson and other coaches in Marshall County know those hopes are a long shot. In recent years, the hottest temperatures of the summer have greeted them on the practice field and even at the start of the season. This year is stacking up to be no different.

“It could be hot all the way to October,” said Chris Daniels, head coach of the H.W. Byers Lions.

Pearson will be the first to put his team on the practice field, beginning in a week, Thursday, July 30.

He said, based on the August heat in recent years, he would be in favor of pushing the season back two or three weeks.

“We can talk about precautions and safety, but really there is only so much we can do once we get into it,” he said, “particularly on game night. You can monitor it better in practice.”

Pearson said his tentative plan is to practice an extended period in the evenings when preseason drills start.

“We will probably go about an hour and a half, give them a 30-minute or so break, and then go back for an hour,” he said.

The Patriots will play in a jamboree at Oxford High School Saturday, August 15, before opening the season Friday, Aug. 21, at Starkville Academy. He expects about 30 players this season.

The public schools in the county will open practice on Monday, Aug. 3, which is also the day teachers report for in-service training prior to the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 6.

Coach Daniels said he tries to get his Lions outside as much as possible during the summer (while school is out).

“That’s one of the reasons why seven-on-seven is so important,” he said. “We want to get them acclimated to the heat. But still, once they put on those helmets and shoulder pads (in August), it adds about 20 to 25 degrees to the temperature for them. We have to give them lots of breaks and keep them hydrated as best we can.”

His Lions will participate in a jamboree hosted by fellow county school Byhalia on Friday, Aug. 14. Action starts at 5 p.m.

Other schools participating are county school Potts Camp and Coahoma Agricultural High School.

Byers starts the regular season Friday, Aug. 21, at neighboring rival Benton County.

At Holly Springs High School, head coach Donald Deans said his Hawks may take to the practice field in the evenings, like at 7, when August 3 rolls around.

“We will just have to see what happens with this weather,” he said. “Safety is of utmost importance – keeping the kids hydrated.”

The Hawks will host Tunica Rosa Fort in a jamboree on Friday, Aug. 14. “Meet the Hawks” activities will begin at 6 p.m.

Holly High hosts rival Byhalia to begin the season on Friday, Aug. 21.

Deans said he is excited about the improvements being made at Sam Coopwood Park, like new fencing around the football field. He said he appreciates the support from the city and others who have helped.

“It’s looking good,” he said. “We’re trying to upgrade our facilities and continue to make good things happen.”

Potts Camp kicks off its regular season Friday, Aug. 21, by visiting Hatley.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.southreporter.com/index.php/sports/1104-football-practice-starts-soon-summer-heat-a-big-concern

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School District makes funding available for athletic training

San Dieguito Union High School District board voted 3-2 to increase the level of certified athletic trainer services at its four high schools. The board extended its contract with Rehab United Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy through 2018, increasing the level of service and the contract amount from $126,152 to $165,000 a year. For the first time since 2009, the district will be paying for these services out of the general fund rather than asking for donations to support the program from the high school foundations.

Trustees Mo Muir and John Salazar voted against the Rehab United contract.

Eric Dill, associate superintendent of business services, said that the agreement has expanded in scope to cover the growth of the athletic program (22 sports in total), additional hours, added a fifth trainer to cover absences or gaps in coverage, and to provide additional support such as strength and conditioning and nutrition should the teams request it.

Superintendent Rick Schmitt said asking for foundations to support the program began during the economic downturn. The district asked for $100,000 from the four foundations to be able to keep it.

“They stepped up, but it was never a forever strategy,” Schmitt said.

Dill said upon looking at the service last year, the district decided that it was time to assume the contract fully. The money is in the budget, and they have rebuilt the district’s reserves to be able to restore athletic directors as a district expense.

The board heard public comment from Paul Gaspar, a board member of the San Dieguito Sports Medicine Foundation, which held the athletic trainer contract with the district for more than a decade until a few years ago, when it was awarded to Rehab United.

“There were numerous problems over the last year with the new provider,” Gaspar said, referring to last fall when several parents expressed concerns that athletic trainers were contractually obligated to refer injured athletes to Rehab United.

“Those things I hope were written into the contract so this does not happen again,” Gaspar said.

Gaspar asserted that he was not making these comments because he wanted the contract over Rehab United. He said because of the way trainers were treated by the district and the district’s failure to make timely payments, he wouldn’t be interested in working with the district again.

As far as problems go, Dill said that the district does not feel anything remains as a serious concern. The referral issue was changed in the contract language — athletes are free to follow up with any care provider they choose.

Dill also apologized to Gaspar for the district’s previous payment problems. When he moved into the business services department, he learned that the district’s method had been waiting for donation money to come in to pay the contractor. He said they have since changed that practice.

Trustee Muir said she was upset that the district did not issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the contract, since it is such an important service for student-athletes.

“I think it would’ve been prudent to search and see if anybody else was interested in doing this,” agreed trustee John Salazar. “Especially for this amount of money.”

Dill said the district does not go out for RFPs every year on every contract it has. The district last issued an RFP for athletic trainer services in 2013, and the district received only one bid, from Rehab United. Before that, in 2008, the district received only three.

“There are not many providers that provide this service,” Dill said.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

https://www.google.com/search?q=san+dieguito&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=702&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoA2oVChMIkKOmjd_xxgIVSZQNCh3uFQqP

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Athletic trainers tasked with protecting athletes

Sharon Winn has spent more than 30 years as an athletic trainer in the Denton school district and has seen the challenges that high school athletes face change dramatically. The most important and significant of those shifts involve the awareness and treatment of concussions.

Despite the pressure that the job entails, Ryan High School’s head trainer isn’t as stressed as one might suspect.

“It’s not as frustrating as you would think because I’m focused on the kids’ health and what’s best for them,” Winn said. “The parents and coaches want to know how long [a player might be out of action], but I don’t know that. It’s not in my magic bag of tricks. I can’t give a concrete answer because there isn’t one.

“It’s aggravating for the coaches, the athlete and the parents, especially for the ultra-competitive athlete. They want in.”

Winn recognizes that there is no fool-proof system for managing concussions and when athletes return to play. That gray area leaves athletic trainers sorting through emerging technology to find the best way to treat concussions, which rank among their biggest challenges.

The technology available for the diagnosis and treatment of concussions has improved dramatically. Even with a wealth of information, testing and treatment methods at their disposal, trainers aren’t taking lightly their decision of whether an athlete can return to play.

Trainers are in agreement that being cautious is in the best interest of athletes. That approach has trainers pulling athletes from games to protect players from themselves.

“It doesn’t matter what rule you have,” Winn said. “There are different interpretations. I don’t think there is any way you can say, that if this happens, then this is what to do. Different things arise. All trainers are in agreement, though, that if they show signs of a concussion they are coming out. It’s a state rule, not my rule.”

High school standards

The University Interscholastic League mandates that athletes must immediately be removed from play if they display symptoms of a concussion, providing trainers with a set of guidelines for how to handle injured athletes.

The UIL has a seven-day return-to-play protocol that mandates athletes cannot return unless they have experienced seven consecutive symptom-free days. If an athlete makes it five days but has a symptom on the sixth, the seven-day window restarts.

“With the UIL, if they exhibit symptoms, they are removed from the activity,” Winn said. “Sometimes in a huddle, especially in football, we’re watching for a hint. They won’t know the play or know what to do. They might say something outlandish. Our kids are getting good about pointing that out.”

Winn’s trepidation with allowing an athlete to return after a concussion is rooted in her understanding of long-term effects and varying symptoms from athlete to athlete.

“I don’t think we truly understand the long-term effects, and a lot of it has to do with the individual,” Winn said. “One kid may sprain an ankle and get right back up, but another kid may take weeks to get over it. Some kids can recover from concussion symptoms very quickly; some have the symptoms linger. I don’t know why.”

Trainers vs. doctors

Athletic trainers and doctors play critical roles in handling concussions and ensuring athletes receive the best care.

“We don’t diagnose,” said Renatta Delello, who is in her 10th year as Denton High School’s trainer. “Doctors diagnose. Trainers evaluate. It’s a big difference. As a trainer, if a kid comes to me with a bone sticking out, I would say it looks like it is broken but let’s go get X-rays.

“A parent could come back and say I was wrong, so we either evaluate and refer, or evaluate and treat. That’s with any injury, regardless. It doesn’t matter.”

The distinction between “diagnose” and “evaluate” is used to protect trainers who must make decisions about the immediate status of athletes.

“A concussion is a tricky injury because you can’t see it and athletes look at it as if it’s not a real injury,” said Kris Ring, who is in her 17th year as a trainer at Texas Woman’s University. “‘I might be a little foggy but there’s nothing wrong with me.’ Part of the vernacular in sports leads to that. They got their ‘bell rung’ or they’re ‘shook up.’

“We need to get rid of those. We need to call it a traumatic brain injury.”

Much like Delello and Winn, Ring makes athletes’ health and well-being her top priorities.

“At the moment of injury, your first concern is that patient’s outcome,” Ring said. “We want to rule out anything catastrophic first. I’ve made the shift that I’d rather be safe than sorry. If there is any question in my mind if it’s a concussion or not, it’s a concussion. In recent years, that has become my mantra. Ultimately my job as an athletic trainer is to protect my athletes.”

The primary fear trainers have with sending an athlete back into play is second impact syndrome. If a concussion is undiagnosed and untreated and a second concussion occurs before the athlete can properly heal, the athlete’s vulnerability skyrockets. The result can be deadly, even if the second concussion was less intense.

“I think we really have to look at these athletes as more than a number on our roster,” Ring said. “You have to think about the long-term consequences. I know I can’t live with myself if I put someone back into practice and something happens to them. I’m not going to do that.”

Trainers often take the lead role in the decision as to when players return to action.

“After the seven days, if there is something that is not quite right, we’ll even have a sit-down conversation with the coach and tell them that they are cleared by our standards but this is what we still see,” Delello said. “If things just aren’t going right, I’m just going to send you to the doctor.”

Facing challenges

on the college level

The NCAA has guidelines similar to the UIL’s regarding players being removed from activity if they display symptoms of a concussion.

The University of North Texas has had a protocol for concussions in place since 2001. Dustin Hill, UNT’s director of sports medicine, said the school is cautious with its athletes who have suffered concussions.

“What we have now makes for a better environment for our kids,” Hill said.

Ring said that TWU also is cautious about returning athletes to play but wishes there was more leeway within the NCAA guidelines governing the time frame in which athletes return.

The concern some have with UIL and NCAA rules is the concealment of head injuries by athletes and their families.

“The athletes don’t like this decision,” Ring said. “They don’t like it at all. Once the athlete knows this is the rule, will it make the athlete less likely to report? I’ve seen that a lot. They can’t stand the rule. Athletes by in large are bulletproof. … It’s brutal. When you look at parents, anytime you say brain injury, they think their kid will never play again.

“On the other side of the spectrum [for the parents], their kid’s college scholarship is riding on a game, so put them back in there. They’ve got pressures from all angles. Plus, with the internal pressure, they want to be on the floor and in the game.”

The pressure isn’t limited to the athlete and his or her family. It also can be on trainers who are pressured to clear athletes who suffer concussions to return to play. Trainers at UNT and TWU said they have the full support of coaches and administrators who put the health of athletes first.

“We’re fortunate that our [athletic director] is one that puts health and well-being first,” Ring said. “We’ve never had a problem. We’ve been very fortunate with her level of seriousness with health, and it trickles down from there. As a department, you have to have total buy-in.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:                                                                                                               http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/sports-headlines/20150711-trainers-tasked-with-protecting-driven-athletes.ece