In this chapter

• Communicating the inherent risks

• Being prepared

• Providing proper supervision

• Responding to minor injuries

• Responding to emergency situations

4

Safety Principles

Basketball is a contact sport. Bodies collide, fouls occur, and kids fall

down. Injuries do occur at the youth level.

Sometimes those injuries are preventable, and sometimes they aren’t.

This chapter focuses on how to create a safe environment for your play-

ers, provide the supervision they need, and do all you can to prevent

injuries. You’ll also learn how to respond to the injuries that do happen.

Hopefully you won’t have an emergency to respond to, but if you do,

you need to know what action to take, so you’ll learn about that as

well.

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 63

Communicating the Inherent RisksA player drives the lane and two defenders converge on him.

Three players battle for a rebound under the basket.

Two players dive for a loose ball near the sideline.

A player sets a screen on a defender who doesn’t see the screener.

These are just some of the situations that can lead to injuries in basketball. Most ofthe injuries are along the lines of scrapes, bruises, jammed fingers, and twistedankles. Major injuries are rare, but they can occur.

Like all sports, basketball has its inherent risks. It’s your duty to communicate theserisks to parents. As mentioned in Chapter 3, “Communication Keys,” you should dothis before the season starts, either in a letter or in a parent meeting.

What should you say? Tell the parents aboutthe types of injuries that can occur. Assurethem that you will do all in your power toprevent injuries, but that you can’t prevent allinjuries, and parents and players shouldunderstand the risks going in.

Ask parents to equip their children with shoesthat provide support and traction. Let parentsknow you will do your part in providing ade-quate supervision at practices and games.

Many leagues have consent forms parentsmust fill out. In doing so, parents acknowl-edge that they understand the risks involvedand do not hold the coach or the leagueliable for injuries that occur while players areparticipating in the program.

Being PreparedThere are several actions you can take to be prepared to handle injury and emer-gency situations. Three of those actions include

■ Having CPR/first aid training

■ Being prepared to respond to kids with chronic health conditions

■ Having a well-stocked first aid kit on hand

Beyond these, you should also have a plan for responding to both minor injuriesand major injuries. You’ll learn more about those plans a little later in this chapter.For now, let’s take a look at the three items just mentioned.

64 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING YOUTH BASKETBALL

Consent forms do notprotect you from all lia-bility issues. If youdo not provideadequate supervi-sion or respondappropriately to aninjured player, you canstill be held liable.However, by being able to provethat you provided proper supervi-sion and instruction, you are lesslikely to be held accountable for aplayer’s injury.

warning

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 64

CPR/First Aid TrainingCPR and first aid training is often offered through local hospitals and medical clin-ics, as well as through national organizations such as the American Red Cross.Sports leagues often sponsor or arrange for the training, which covers the basics ofproviding cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid for a variety of injuries.

If you have the opportunity to be trained in CPR/first aid, take it. Understanding theproper response and practicing the correct techniques involved go much furtherthan reading about the topic.

If you don’t have the opportunity to be trained, study this chapter carefully andsupplement your learning with additional resources as you see fit.

Chronic Health Condition AwarenessDontrelle races hard downcourt on a fast break and is thankful when the whistleblows and a foul is called. He bends over and puts his hands on his knees, wheezinghard; he can’t seem to catch his breath. His wheezing is beyond the normal out-of-breath, out-of-shape gasping for air. He is truly having trouble getting enough airinto his lungs. What do you do?

Right before she got to the gym, Hannah was stung by a bee. Inside the gym, hereyes begin to itch and swell. She develops hives and begins wheezing. How do yourespond?

Tyler begins sweating and trembling. He is turning pale. You know he is diabetic.What action do you take?

Dontrelle has asthma, Hannah is allergic to bee stings, and Tyler (as mentioned)suffers from diabetes. These are examples of chronic conditions that some of yourplayers might have and that you might have to deal with as your season progresses.With chronic health conditions, it’s vital that you

■ Are aware that the child has the condition

■ Know the signs the child will exhibit when the condition is bothering him

■ Know how to respond to the symptoms

Before the first practice, have parents fill out a medical emergency form (seeAppendix B, “Medical Emergency Form”). On this form they can note what type ofallergy or condition their children have, which symptoms to watch for, what to doin case of an attack or episode, and at what phone numbers they can be reached.

If parents note an allergy or condition but are sparse with their information onwhat signs to look for, ask them directly what you should watch for. You can alsofind this information easily on the Internet or through resources in your library.

CHAPTER 4 SAFETY PRINCIPLES 65

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 65

Just as important as knowing what to look for is knowing how to respond. Thechild’s parents are the first and most important resource here; they will know whattreatment is called for. Some situations will call for you to seek immediate emer-gency help. Know what these situations are and carry the appropriate medicalemergency numbers—and a cell phone, if possible—with you at practices andgames. If you don’t have a cell phone, carry change with you for a pay phone.

First Aid KitStock a first aid kit and take it with you to practices and games. Some stores sellcomplete kits; you can buy an already-assembled kit or put one together on yourown. Either way, here are the essentials you should have on hand:

■ Phone numbers of parents, players’ doctors, emergency medical personnel,and police

■ Change for a pay phone

■ Antiseptic wipes

■ Antibacterial soap

■ First aid cream

■ Instant cold pack

■ Gauze rolls

■ Triangular bandages

■ 2'' elastic bandage

■ Bandages, sheer and flexible, of vari-ous sizes

■ Nonstick pads of assorted sizes

■ Hypoallergenic first aid tape

■ Oval eye pads

■ Acetaminophen

■ Scissors

■ Tweezers

■ Insect sting kit

■ Disposable gloves

■ First aid guide

■ Contents card

66 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING YOUTH BASKETBALL

tipUse the contentscard to remind you ofwhat you should have andwhat you do have, soyou know when torestock. Use the firstaid guide to help youremember how to care for minorinjuries (it’s easier than carryingthis book with you to practice).

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 66

Providing Proper SupervisionIn the rush to provide superior coaching and teaching and to shape their youngstersinto the best possible basketball players over the course of a season, many coachesoverlook an even more important duty—to provide proper supervision at practicesand games.

Parents are entrusting their children to you; your most important duty is to makesure their kids are cared for and supervised in a safe environment.

To provide the supervision your players need, be sure you

■ Plan your practices.

■ Inspect the court and equipment.

■ Provide proper instruction.

■ Supervise each activity.

Plan Your PracticesIn Chapter 5, “Practice Plans,” you’ll learn how to plan your season and individualpractices. Planning prepares you to instruct and coach more effectively. Whenyou’re organized, know what you want to teach, and know how you want to teachit, you’re more likely to stay on task and maintain control. In turn, your players aremore likely to stay focused, taking their cues from you, and less likely to have downtime to fool around while you’re figuring out what to do next.

You’ll learn to plan your practices using a logical progression of skills, based onyour players’ level of development and physical condition.

Keep these season and practice plans; they can be important if an injury were tooccur and your judgment in terms of planning were questioned. Also fill out andkeep any injury reports (see Appendix C, “Injury Report”) for your records.

Inspect the Court and EquipmentCheck your practice and game courts before playing on them. Look for water or slip-pery areas, for chipped or broken tiles or boards, and any conditions that mightlead to injury. Report these conditions to your league administrator.

Provide Proper InstructionIf your players don’t know the fundamentals of rebounding, of driving to the hoop,of screening, and of many other aspects of the game, they put themselves and oth-ers at risk. That’s why it’s so important that you teach your players the proper tech-nique for all the skills they need to perform. It not only increases their chances ofplaying well, but also decreases their chances of being injured.

CHAPTER 4 SAFETY PRINCIPLES 67

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 67

Supervise Each ActivityPlanning the practice, knowing what you want your players to be doing fromminute to minute, isn’t enough. You need to closely supervise the players as theyparticipate in each activity. Accidents andinjuries are more likely to happen when activ-ities are not supervised.

That means don’t get kids started in an activ-ity and then watch them out of the corner ofyour eye while you make a call on your cellphone. It also means not temporarily leavingthe court, entrusting the players to the chargeof your teenage son. It means staying focusedon the activity, being there to provide feed-back on players’ performances, and—mostimportantly from a legal standpoint—ensur-ing that the activity is conducted safely andthat all players are under your direct supervision.

Responding to Minor InjuriesThe focus so far has been on doing all you can to prevent injuries from occurring.Still, they will occur, and you need to know how to respond to them.

Most of the injuries in youth basketball are minor: scrapes and bruises, sprains andstrains. Here’s how you should respond in each situation.

Cuts and ScrapesRemember the disposable gloves in your firstaid kit? Here’s where you use them—as a bar-rier between you and a player’s blood. Whilewearing the gloves, stop the bleeding by press-ing directly on the cut with a gauze bandage.If the cut is deep enough that blood soaks thebandage, keep that bandage in place andapply another one.

When the bleeding has stopped, remove thegauze bandage and cleanse the wound withan antiseptic wipe. Apply some first aidcream. Then place a clean bandage over thewound.

68 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING YOUTH BASKETBALL

tipTwo more safety tips:One, stretch and warmup properly for practicesand games. And two,remember that yourplayers are kids, notminiature adults. Theirbodies can’t take the physicalstress that adults’ bodies can.Don’t encourage kids to playthrough pain, and don’t expectthem to do what you can do.

tipA player with abloody nose shouldlean slightly forward andpinch shut his nostrils.The bleeding shouldstop within severalminutes. If it doesn’t,seek medical help.

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 68

BruisesThings sometimes go bump in the night. More often, they go bump under the bas-ket, or on a fast break, or during a screen. Wherever the bump takes place, a bruiseoften results. Many bruises don’t need any special treatment, but if the area isswollen and tender, treat it through the PRICE method:

■ P = Protect—Keep the athlete from further harm as you tend to the injury.

■ R = Rest—This hastens the healing process.

■ I = Ice—This reduces inflammation in the injured area, which aids in thehealing process; it also reduces the pain.

■ C = Compress—When you compressthe injured area with a tightly securedice bag (use an elastic bandage to dothis), you ensure that the ice can doits job.

■ E = Elevate—When you raise theinjured area above the heart level, thisminimizes the amount of blood thatpools in the area. The more blood thatpools in the area, the longer the injurywill take to heal.

Sprains and StrainsA sprain happens when ligaments or tendons are stretched too far from their normalposition. Typically, a sprain occurs in the ankle, knee, or wrist. A sprain generallycauses pain, swelling, and bruising of the affectedjoint.

A strain occurs when a muscle is stretched toofar. In basketball, the most common strains areto hamstrings (the muscles in the backs of thethighs).

Treat sprains and strains with the PRICEmethod. The player should fully recover andgradually work back to full speed.

Remember to use the injury report to keep arecord of all injuries, including minor ones.

CHAPTER 4 SAFETY PRINCIPLES 69

tipApply ice for about15 minutes every 3hours or so during theday. When the swellingdecreases, the playercan begin gentlerange-of-motion exer-cises for the affected joint.

noteOveruse injuriesresult from the stressplaced on bodies by repetitivetraining. Such injuries caninclude stress fractures, strains,sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, andshin splints.

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 69

RETURNING AFTER AN INJURYMost players want to return from an injury as soon as possible. But if they return tooquickly, they can aggravate the injury and end up missing more action than necessary.

Here are some guidelines for when injured players can return to action:

■ They should return when they have been cleared to do so by their parents and, ifappropriate, by their doctor.

■ They should not practice or play if they still feel pain in the injured area during rest.

■ They should use simple exercises to gently work the injured area after they have nopain at rest.

■ If they feel pain as they resume exercising, they should stop.

■ They should return gradually to full intensity, listening to their bodies and increasingintensity only when they can do so without pain.

Responding to Emergency SituationsYou need to be prepared to respond to emergency situations, such as broken bonesand head, neck, and back injuries. An emergency situation can also crop up with achronic health condition. Your role here is not to treat the player, but to facilitatethat treatment while protecting the player from further harm.

To do so, you need to have an emergency plan in place. Here are the essentials ofsuch a plan:

1. Evaluate the player and use your CPR/first aid training as appropriate.However, do not move, or allow the movement of, a player who has suffereda neck or back injury, a dislocated joint, ora broken bone.

2. Contact medical personnel, reassurethe child, keep others away from him,and remain with the child until med-ical help arrives. Assign an assistantcoach or a parent to call medical per-sonnel, if possible. It’s ideal that youstay with the player, to keep her calm.

3. If the child is taken to the hospital andher parents are not available to gowith her, appoint an assistant coach ora parent to accompany the child.Ideally, this person will be someone theplayer knows and can take comfortfrom.

70 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING YOUTH BASKETBALL

tipAlways carry thesephone numbers withyou at practices andgames: players’ parents(home, office, andmobile phones), play-ers’ physicians, hospital,police, and rescue unit. Also besure you have players’ emergencyinformation on hand. You’ll gainthis information through the formfound in Appendix B.

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 70

HeatstrokeIn heatstroke, a person’s body temperature climbs dangerously high as heat is gen-erated more quickly than the body can handle it. As the body’s thermoregulatorymechanisms fail, heatstroke can occur. In the late stages of heatstroke, the personloses his ability to sweat, but this isn’t the case earlier on.

Signs of heatstroke include

■ Fatigue and weakness

■ Nausea and vomiting

■ Headache

■ Dizziness

■ Muscle cramps

■ Irritability

A person suffering from heatstroke has hot, flushed skin. He likely also has a rapidpulse, shallow breathing, and constricted pupils. The person might exhibit strangebehavior and confusion.

What should you do if a player exhibits some of these signs? If you’re outside, getthe player into shade. Have him sit or lie down, remove any excess clothing orequipment, and cool his body with wet towels or by pouring cold water over him.Have someone call medical personnel immediately. Have the player drink coolwater. Another way to cool the body is to place ice packs on the armpits, neck, andback and between the legs.

Under no circumstances should you allow an athlete who has suffered heatstroke toreturn to action until he has been examined by a doctor and cleared to play.

Heat ExhaustionHeat exhaustion happens when a personbecomes dehydrated. This person usually issweating profusely and has pale, clammyskin; a rapid and weak pulse; dilated pupils;and a loss of coordination.

The signs of heat exhaustion are the same asfor heatstroke. The treatment is also the same,with the exception that you might not need tosend for medical personnel. Send for medicalpersonnel if the player’s condition doesn’timprove or if it worsens. Again, don’t let theplayer resume practicing or playing withoutthe consent of her physician.

CHAPTER 4 SAFETY PRINCIPLES 71

About 200 people in theUnited States die eachyear due to heat-related illnesses.The chance ofdeath increaseswhen treatment isdelayed for more than2 hours. Don’t delay intreating your players for heat-related illnesses and in seeking med-ical intervention when necessary.

warning

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 71

The Absolute MinimumThis chapter is intended to prepare you to provide for the safety of your players.Among the main points are these:

■ Let parents know of the inherent risks of playing basketball before the sea-son begins.

■ There are many ways you can prepare yourself to provide for safety.Among them are being trained in CPR/first aid, being aware of anychronic health conditions of your players, knowing how to respond if aplayer’s health condition flares up, and having a well-stocked first aid kiton hand at all practices and games.

■ One of your most important duties is to provide proper supervision atpractices and games. This comes through planning your practices, inspect-ing the court and equipment, providing proper instruction, and closelysupervising each activity.

■ Know how to respond to minor injuries, including cuts and scrapes,bruises, and sprains and strains.

■ Have an emergency plan in place, have all the important phone numbersyou need in case of an emergency, and enact the plan when a majorinjury happens.

72 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING YOUTH BASKETBALL

06 0789733587 CH04 6/21/05 9:55 AM Page 72