Reviewing Your School's Athletics Program Can Save Your Child's Life
The family of a New York teenager who collapsed while practicing with his high school football team and later died of heat stroke claims that the boy's coach ordered him back onto the field when he tried to leave practice early. --- Fox News.
It's frightening to think we could be sending our children to school and they never come home again. In recent times, it seems that schools are becoming an increasingly dangerous environment for our children. With the terrifying accounts of school shootings we would have never thought of our child expiring on the football field. Is it time parents began to take a more active role in our school's athletic programs?
This senseless death could have possibly been prevented if the school offered a "parent's day" to review their athletics program. Parents could meet with the coaches who would walk them through the training regimen. Coaches could explain the expected performance of the kids signing up for their sports and under what conditions the children would be practicing.
Old worn out protective gear can be a safety hazard. Parents should be able to see the equipment their kids are wearing while in practice of contact sports. Equipment that fits loosely or is in a state of disrepair can slip blocking their vision, tangling at their necks or allowing a bad hit to hyper extend their necks. Neck rolls should fit snugly and prevent backward extension of the head when the helmet is on.
Many school athletics programs offer weights that students can use. Do these weights meet safety guidelines and do they have their required securing bolts to keep weights from slipping off? Is it mandatory that all students have a "spotter" at all times when lifting?
What is the state of the field or court? Loose boards on the basketball court can trip a player. And we've seen how older backboards can shatter raining the heavy metal net and shattered glass onto the player. Holes, ant beds and barren patches in the field can affect traction, tripping a player causing possible ankle injury. This may seem like being over protective, but a poorly kept field indicates a poorly ran program.
What person in the program is the designated safety coordinator? Do they have training in sports medicine and when would they decide a player is too injured to continue playing? Does the person attending to injuries have a well stocked medical kit and does it meet the requirements of the player's needs. For contact sports, a C-Spine neck brace should be in the kit that can be adjusted to fit kids of various sizes. Splints and ace bandages and ice packs should be in the kit. And plenty of water or electrolyte drinks on ice should be a part of the safety coordinator's checklist.
What is the training regimen? Perhaps the most important aspect - especially in contact sports - is how intensively and how often our children are expected to train in extreme heat or cold. When our children are playing in the park with friends they will sit it out if they aren't feeling well or come home. On a field however, they may feel pressure to perform and not let the coach and team down. I remember this from my own football days. We would even plot in the huddle ways to avoid being benched. "Don't let Coach T see you favoring that knee, we need you for the game."
Parents should know under what conditions their children are expected to perform - not only in academics. We have PTA meetings to address the quality of their education. But it is just as important to ensure they are safe on the field of play. No child should every die at school as a result of extreme conditions or pressure to perform. When we send our children out into the world we know there is always a chance something can happen. A careful evaluation of your child's school athletics program is not being overly protective, it's simply good parenting.
Sources/Resources
"Family of dead high school football player claims he was forced to practice until he collapsed,"Fox News - Sept. 2, 2013
Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com
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