TIPS ON DEALING WITH THE HEAT

-Monitor the weather: Adopt a chart to help determine the difference between relative temperatures versus the relative humidity. Know when you should have your athletes take off their pads and helmets. Know when you should have your athletes remove their shirts, and know when you should cancel practice all together.

-Take care of yourself before taking care of your athletes: If you as a coach are struggling to keep focus, and struggling with the heat, you can't expect to be able to keep a close eye on your athletes.

-Hire an athletic trainer, or have someone designated to keep an eye on the athletes, keep up with preventive measures, and have a plan of action if a situation arises.

-Have a designated break plan: With the amount of heat and humidity in Arkansas since practice started, it is recommended to take breaks every 20 minutes. Make sure your athletes have ample time to get out of their helmets and pads. Give them time to cool off and take in fluids.

-Take notice of symptoms: Ask your athletes about the color of their urine. If their urine is light yellow to dark yellow, they are already dehydrated. Make sure they get fluids, and if their urine is very dark, hold them out of practice and make them hydrate themselves.

-Weigh athletes before and after practice and games: If an athlete loses more than 5% of their body weight during a practice, they are at an elevated risk to become a heat casualty. Your athlete needs to ingest 20 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during practice or a game. The athlete needs to ingest the proper amount of fluids within two hours of the completion of practice.

-Keep an eye out for your heavy sweaters: The athletes on your team who sweat more than others, and/or have salt rings on their clothing are at a bigger risk for cramps, organ failure, and death. Make sure they are taking in more fluids, and adding more salt to their diet. Pickle juice, mustard, and salt tablets are still good fixes for these athletes.

-Game day officials: Keep an eye on the officials as well. They may not have been preparing themselves for the heat they will endure while calling a game. Also have a plan with the officials in place in case of a heat related emergency on the field or the sidelines.

-Parents should realize their athlete is practicing and playing in grave conditions: The high temperatures football players play and practice in can take a person's life if the proper precautions are not taken.

-Take note of any stress their athlete may be under: Discuss any matter they may be facing, and help to relieve the stress.

-Eating Habits: Make sure your athlete is eating well balanced meals before and after practice.

-Do not allow your athlete to over-train: Don't go lift weights or go swimming after practice. These two things expose your body to more heat and cause you to exert more energy than you need to exert.

-Sleep Habits: Make sure your athlete is getting a good night sleep, and is waking up in time to get a good breakfast. Athletes participating in football should be in bed by 9PM, and should be awakened with plenty of time to take in a good balanced breakfast before heading off to school or practice.

-Drink fluids throughout the entire day: Never pass a water fountain without getting a drink.

-Take in 17-20 ounces of fluids while at home before a game: Take in another 7-10 ounces of fluids while on the way to practice or a game. Take in 28-40 ounces of fluids while participating in practice or a game, and take in 20 ounces of fluid per each pound of weight lost during practice or a game. You should be taking in up to 80 ounces of fluids for each practice or game.

-Keep up with urination habits: You should be urinating frequently. If you are not urinating, you are in grave danger of becoming a heat casualty. Keep up with the color of your urine. If it is a light yellow to a dark yellow color, you are already dehydrated. Take in fluids immediately.

-Take note of you how you feel: If you notice you are having trouble focusing, if you feel sick, or are not feeling right, tell someone. Make sure it is legitimate, and do not use this as an excuse to get out of practice.

-No athlete should ever be pushed when needing a break: Consider all athletes are not the same. Some may need more hydration than others. Do not push athletes if they show signs of dehydration.

-No retaliation: Athletes should never be punished for requesting or needing extra hydration breaks.

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AATA Members:

For all members that attended the 2010 AATA Annual Meeting we strongly encourage your participation in the online survey.

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SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR AATA

Mueller Sports Medicine will be giving back to the Athletic Training Profession in Arkansas this year by contributing $1 to the Arkansas State Athletic Training Association Scholarship fund for every case of Mueller product purchased.

Here's how it works:

Mueller will contribute $1 per case for items sold in cases (tapes, underwrap, tapewrap) or by case pack when case pack is purchased at one time (aerosols, analgesics, etc.)

Mueller will contribute $1 per "case pack" of braces (not supports or sleees) Case Pack = 12.

Mueller will donate $1 per Athletic Trainers Kit sold.

Sarah Stout

Advertising & Communications Manager

Mueller Sports Medicine

One Quench Drive

PO Box 99

Prairie du Sac , WI   53578

608-643-8530 ext. 376

www.muellersportsmed.com

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Athletic Trainer, AED & CPR Critical to Athlete’s Survival

January 20, 2010

Last night at Little Rock’s Parkview High School a basketball player collapsed on the bench after playing in a basketball game’s first quarter. The athlete was without a pulse & not breathing when a certified athletic trainer (who was there with the visiting Searcy High School team) arrived. He immediately began CPR on him, and this stabilized him. His heart rate was erratic so an automatic external
defibrillator (AED) was called for. A first shock was administered & this helped to stabilize the athlete. CPR was maintained by athletic trainer until emergency medical technicians arrived & transported him
to Arkansas Childrens’ Hospital, where he is currently recovering.

Important Key Points about this incident:

• Having trained medical personnel on hand for athletic events is critical. The visiting athletic trainer, along with other key people at the game, was instrumental in the initial assessment of
  the athlete’s condition. Based on his vital signs, they made the decision to call 911, to initiate
  CPR, and to use the AED.
• Having an AED on hand was critical to the athlete’s survival. Arkansas’ Legislature recently called for AEDs to be on hand at every school, but this was an unfunded mandate. LR Parkview’s
  AED was provided to the school through the Antony Hobbs Foundation by Arkansas Specialty Orthopedics. Fortunately, many schools have acquired them recently on their own or through donations, but unfortunately many schools are without proper access to an AED. We need to make sure that all schools and all athletic facilities can have immediate access to an AED within 2 minutes of cardiac emergency.
• Not all schools have access to an athletic trainer….less than 15 schools in Arkansas employ an athletic trainer. It is vital to our state’s youth that if they participate in sports that they are protected with the best possible healthcare, and not just for games---practices happen everyday, while games are only 1-2 times per week. An athletic trainer is the best person to handle sports-related injury issues & emergency incidents at athletic events. Who is taking care
  of your kids?

Official Press Release

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING SWINE FLU

In light of the recent media attention about swine flu, the Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that athletes need to take extra precautions against the swine flu.  Being in close quarters with teammates & opponents, athletes, parents, & coaches need to be aware of how to prevent the swine flu & what to look for.

Please review the linked document for specific information.  Any forwarding or this information via emails, broadcast, etc is greatly appreciated.  Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or need more information.

Founded in 1987, the Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association mission is to embody common goals and become more unified in advancing, encouraging, and improving the athletic training profession so that we might provide the best possible care for active people in the state of Arkansas .  

"Remembering our past, thinking of our future, caring for our state's youth."

BJ Maack, ATC, LAT, CSCS

President, Arkansas Athletic Trainers Association

501.539.3278