Gearing up for Spring Sports

For most of us, winter sports are over and done with and we're rapidly flying into spring seasons.  Time for baseball, softball, track, lacrosse, and rugby!  Spring is easily the most hectic season, as it sees most teams spread out, practice schedules at odd times, and games squeezed in whenever it isn't raining. 

Our athlete's safety is still number one on our minds in the spring, so consider a few of these ideas to keep your head on and make sure that everyone stays safe and happy:

• Daily or weekly email updates to coaches - If your school is anything like the four I've been at, your spring sports fields are spread out all over the place.  If I'm having a high injury week, I might go days between seeing some of my coaches for more than two minutes.  Sending out email updates on injured athletes and whatever else you may need to share takes five minutes and is a good way to keep up with your coaches if you haven't had an opportunity to track them down.

• AEDs with far away sports - Before working at my current high school, this was never an option that I considered.  All of your coaches have (or should have) CPR and AED training, but if something should happen at practice and you aren't there at a far away field or facility it is a good idea to have an AED available.  Ours were purchased through a grant, since it is somewhat impractical cost-wise to purchase four or five separate AEDs and accessories.

• Contact/emergency action sheet in all med kits - Not everyone likes to do this because it makes it a lot easier for those pesky teenagers to apprehend your phone contact information, but there are any number of situations where it can be beneficial to keep the number for your cell phone or pager on a small emergency card in each med kid.  Along with this, I tape a small card with a basic emergency plan for the team's venue to the inside top of each kit.  It might seem like extra work now, but the few minutes that it can save in an emergency might save a life; plus it never hurts to be prepared!

• Walkie talkies - They're relatively inexpensive, they're a one time purchase, and they're a super easy way to stay connected with your coaches and teams while you're off at other fields.  You're as far away as the push of a button for all of your coaches, easy!

• Weather reminders - If you're above 8 on the 1-10 boredom scale in the spring then this one is for you.  Write up the day's weather conditions (including of course humidity and heat warnings) and post it outside of your athletic training room.  Add pictures, put comics on them, put out a list of delinquent athletes from winter season that still haven't turned their equipment in, put out a fact of the day, do something!

Have fun this spring, and stay safe everyone!