NCCSIR, The National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research 26th Annual Report
www.unc.edu/depts/nccsi
Lara McKenzie, PhD at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Sports_50/Number_of_Serious_Injuries_in_Gymnastics_Rival_Those_in_Ice_Hockey.shtml
Kate Stinchfield, TIME, Heath Section. Little Athletes, Big Injuries. February 25, 2008. Pg 51.
NCSF, National Cheer Safety Foundation
www.cheerinjuryreport.com
NATA – National Athletic Trainers’ Association Journal of Athletic Training
www.nata.org
NCSF, National Cheer Safety Foundation
www.cheerinjuryreport.com
NCCSIR, The National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research 26th Annual Report
www.unc.edu/depts/nccsi
NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association
www.ncaa.org
SGMA, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
www.sgma.com
Dr. Martha Murray, Orthopedic Surgeon for Children’s Hospital Boston.
http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2007/02/12/focus4-Surgeon-makes-gel-gun-to-heal-female-athletes-injuries.html
CDC, Center for Disease Control, Heads Up Program.
http://sportsinjuries.suite101.com/article.cfm/concussions_in_youth_sports
US high school girl soccer players suffered 29,167 concussions in 2005-06. That is 8,238 more than US high school boy soccer players at 20,929.
Sean Gregory, Head Games. LIFE Magazine. 2007
Researchers say due to the increase in sports participation, increase in year round play and multi-sports along with parents putting a tremendous amount of pressure on young athletes to compete is the main reason these injuries are on a rise. The young athletes do not get a chance to rest. The underlying cause is lack of regulation protocol.
Kin Dixon, REUTERS, Overuse sports injuries widespread in kids: doctors. Yahoo New, February 15, 2007
There are 38,000 sports-related eye injuries in the United States each year that require a trip to the emergency room. 90% of these injuries are preventable. Making sports protective eyewear a part of athletic uniforms can significantly reduce the potential of eye injuries. Protective eyewear must be made of the proper materials and fitted correctly. Here’s what to look for when choosing protective eyewear.
Vision Council of America & National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE), Check Yearly, See Clearly. Sports Protective Eyewear Fact Sheet and Safety Kit. August 2007.
Coaches have the responsibility to keep their athletes safe while their athletes are participating within their given sport or activity; whether it is during practice or competition. Performing this responsibility should be done in a systematic manner to ensure that the coach does not forget any detail. The following Safety Tip can help keep this responsibility in check:
Clover, Jim. Sports Medicine Essentials. 2nd Edition. Thomson / Delmar Learning (2007). Chapter 4: Ethical and Legal Considerations, Pg. 68
Heat-related illnesses are very preventable. The key is balancing major factors that influence body temperature. All factors below need to be addressed:
Flegel, Melinda J. Sport First Aid. 4th Edition. Human Kinetics (2008). Chapter 11: WeatherRelated Problems, Pg.137-139
Note: ** Most lightning-related injuries occur between May and September, and nearly 80% occur between 10AM – 7PM.
Quinn, Elizabeth. About.com, Your Guide to Sports Medicine. Getting Started and Sticking with Exercise. July 11, 2007.
Appenzeller, H. & Appenzeller, T. (2008). Successful Sport Management. Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press
Reports that 65.2 percent of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes occur in high school cheerleading have led to efforts from the United States Sports Academy and the National Cheer Safety Foundation (NCSF) to educate cheer coaches.
“Cheer safety education based on sports sciences is crucial in reducing catastrophic and over-use injuries in cheerleading,” said NCSF President and CEO Kimberly Archie. “Those involved need to insist that coaches are educated and trained to properly care for young athletes.”
The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) initiated a catastrophic injury (fatalities, disabilities, serious injuries) data collection system for high school and collegiate sports on a national level during the 1982–1983 school year.1 Cheerleading was not initially included until 2 collegiate cheerleaders suffered serious head injuries during the first year of data collection. Since that time, collegiate cheerleading has been associated with 31 catastrophic injuries and high school cheerleading with 73. Collegiate cheerleading accounted for 70.5% of all female catastrophic sports injuries and high school cheerleading for 65.2% of all high school female catastrophic sports injuries. Without a doubt, cheerleading is the most dangerous female sport when we look at the number of catastrophic injuries.
Due to the success of football injury research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) was initiated during the 1982-83 school year. As a result of the football research important contributions to the game have been made and include the 1976 rule changes, the football helmet standard, improved medical care for the participants, and better coaching techniques.
A Louisville high school football Athlete collapsed during practice on August 20, 2008. He died 3 days later in the hospital. In the Emergency Department his body temperature was 107* after IV fluids and traveling 40 minutes in an air-conditioned ambulance. Obviously, his core body temperature exceeded 107* when he collapsed on the practice field. 109* is fatal absent proper cooling. A kiddy iced pool appears the appropriate, rapid cooling method.
It is a coach’s legal and moral responsibility to plan in advance for catastrophic emergencies. A rehearsed catastrophic emergency plan is a crucial part of managing risk in sport. After the review of more than 200 catastrophic cheer injury reports between 1982 and 2009, one pattern stood out like a sore thumb: Cheer programs lacked a rehearsed catastrophic emergency plan. A review of other youth sports revealed a similar pattern.
Reports that 65.2 percent of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes occur in high school cheerleading have led to efforts from the United States Sports Academy and the National Cheer Safety Foundation (NCSF) to educate cheer coaches.
Physical activity and sport by their very nature include inherent risks leading to injuries for many individuals who participate (1).
Most sports injuries encountered by young athletes are minor in nature, but when an injury is extensive enough to be categorized as catastrophic it can be devastating to those involved.
The treatment of football players with concussions has put the NFL in the spotlight in recent months, including two congressional hearings with testimony by former players and coaches, and the launch of an NFL public service campaign on the subject.