Part 5: Is Your Child Safe? League Sports
Twice as many kids participate in league sports as compared to high school sports.
High School Sports Participation - over 7 million youth athletes
League Sports Participation - 20 to 40 million youth athletes
By and large, league sports have no sports safety training requirements for coaches. NONE! No ATCs, no education for coaches, and not even a sports physical is required for participation.
Here is a story about a youth soccer player who was saved thanks to several bystanders in the stands. Neither coach knew what to do! There was no plan and neither coach was properly trained or prepared! Read here.
Virtually no league implements an Emergency Action Plan. Some schools have one on a webpage or in a manual, but where is it when the coach needs it?
Does the coach know the field address?
Who runs onto the field to care for the athlete?
Who calls 9-1-1?
What do you tell the operator?
Do you have the child's emergency medical information and contact information immediately available?
Who cares for the rest of the team, who meets the ambulance?
Who travels with the child in the ambulance?
When the coach runs onto the field to care for the injured athlete, what does he/she do?
Is the injured child responsive or unresponsive, face up or face down, breathing or not breathing? Do they have a helmet on? Do you take it off?
When are you supposed to remove a face mask? How do you do it?
