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As a coach, it is up to you to set the bar for your young athletes—not only in athletic performance but in creating a safe environment. It’s important to know how to prevent or respond to injuries and emergencies. We can show you how. We have a wide variety of resources and tips for coaches, including establishing safety guidelines that athletes will follow and parents will support, such as regular hydration breaks, proper warm-up techniques and making sure everyone knows the signs and symptoms of concussions. Making sure athletes and parents know safety is your priority will demonstrate your commitment to a positive, balanced experience for your young players. Safety Basics We have tools and tips to make your job easy as well as some in-depth guides to give you the information you need to keep your team healthy. Resources: Tips and Checklists
Resources: Tools and Guides
FIRST THINGS FIRST: PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES | top
You will be collecting parents’ emergency contact information before the season, and it’s smart to program the phone numbers directly into your cell phone so you have them handy in an emergency. Make an emergency plan at the beginning of the season, and get parents on board early with a meeting before the first practice. It’s also a good idea to get as much safety training as you can. Consider becoming certified in first aid and CPR. Safe Kids offers free sports training clinics, and the tips and resources offered on this site can give you a good overview of safety basics. Resources
CONCUSSIONS: PREVENTION, RECOGNITION AND RESPONSE | top
Check with your league or school about concussion policies. If there is none, you can establish one for your team and the league as a commitment to safety, and ask all players, parents and coaches to sign the policy statement. Resources
PREVENTING ACUTE AND OVERUSE INJURIES: REST AND CONDITIONING | top
Acute injuries are usually the result of a single event. Common types of sports-related injuries in children are wrist fractures, tendon sprains or muscle strains. Overuse injuries are the result of repetitive strain, or “micro-trauma,” to the tendons, bones, and joints, such as “little league elbow” and stress fractures. Make sure you establish a warming-up and stretching routine for every practice and game early on in the season. And don’t underestimate the importance of rest breaks. Check the resources below to learn how much rest your players need. Resources
HEAT ILLNESS: WHAT PARENTS CAN DO | top
Children are often dehydrated before symptoms appear so establishing regular hydration breaks every 15-20 minutes of play is essential. Knowing and recognizing the signs and symptoms of dehydration, and removing the child from play once you do, is also important. Resources |
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It’s important that each player gets a pre-participation physical evaluation (PPE) every year. These exams can detect any underlying conditions the young athlete may have and prevent a potential medical emergency.
Knowing what a concussion is, learning the signs and symptoms, and understanding the proper response when one occurs during a practice or game can prevent further injury. Review the Concussion Guide for Coaches below and distribute the Guides for Parents and Schools to educate them about this serious sports injury.
As a coach, you can help kids avoid overuse injuries throughout the season by learning what contributes to these injuries and what steps you should take to prevent them in the first place.
Dehydration, a form of heat illness, is the excessive loss of fluids from the body. Dehydration not only hurts athletic performance but can put a child at risk of a more severe heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
