Safety“Play Baseball and Softball Safely!”

Safety is everyone’s responsibility!

Safety Issues/Concerns

• Please report to safety officer– Della Crone– (970)262-6670– (303)668-9355

– Or to any Board member

Background checks

• Must be completed by all coaches/manager, assistant coaches and parent volunteers

• Concussion training must be completed too!

• Anyone refusing to fill out information for background check is not eligible to be a volunteer, coach, umpire, assistant coach or board member

Prevention of injuries

• Coaches should emphasize safety– No horseplay

• Sliding pads• Do not introduce 2 or more balls during drills• Practice drills should be age-specific• Heart guards • Cups• Bring water bottles and drink periodically• Sunscreen• Warm-up prior to practice

Emergency Phone Numbers

• First Aid Kits are available, please return with equipment.

– Ice packs (please do not store in equipment bags)

Types of injuries

• Contusions• Strains• Sprains• Fractures• Dislocations• Tooth injury• Eye Injury• Concussions

– youth athletic coaches receive annual training to recognize concussions.

Contusions

• Define: injury that causes bleeding into the skin or beneath (bruising)– No skin breakage

• Symptoms:– “black and blue”/discoloration– Pain– Tenderness– Swollen

Strains

• Definition: over stretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon

• Mild (Grade I)– Slight pulled/no loss of strength– Average healing 2-10 days

• Moderate strain (Grade II)– Tearing of muscle, tendon at the bone attachment– Weak and painful with muscle contraction– Average healing 10 days-6 weeks– Physical therapy required

Strains continued

• Severe Strain (Grade III)– Rupture of muscle-tendon-bone attachment with

separation– Very weak; may not have pain with muscular

contraction– Surgical repair with PT afterwards– Average healing time: 16-20 weeks.

Sprains

• Define: Overstretching of ligament at a joint

• Mild Strain (Grade I)– Some tearing of ligament, no loss of function– Heal time 2-6 weeks

• Moderate strain (Grade II)– Rupture of part of ligament, slight loss of function– Requires PT– Average heal time 4-6 weeks

When to call 911

• Someone becomes unconscious• Player, spectator, coach is having trouble breathing or is

breathing strangely• C/O chest pain• Bleeding is severe• Vomiting blood• Seizure, slurred speech• Appears to been poisoned

What to do

• Reassure the injured, frightened or lost• Assist with medical attention• Watch for shock• Carry your first aid kit to all games and practices• Have a cell phone available at all games and practices• Report any injury to the Safety officer within 48 hours.

Drink Water

Warm up

Warm up suggestions

• Jumping jacks• Jogging• Running bases• Arm windmills • High knee kicks• Neck circles

During the game

• Equipment off the field• Discipline at all times• Players in dugout or on bench during the game• Keep players off fences and backstops• Players behind backstops• Monitor the weather for storm threats• No “on-deck” rule for batters

No on deck batting

Early signs of fatigue

• Arm fatigue• Local soreness• Severe pain

– Try to identify poor arm positioning– Low elbow height– Improper foot position– Poor or no follow-through

Catchers

Player complaints

• Stiffness of arm• Can not loosen his arm• Inaccurate throws• c/o popping or snapping sound when they throw

• Coaches have to give time off to avoid microtears of a pitching arm.

• Follow pitch count limits• Give player rest time• Don’t throw curve balls too early.

Hey Coach Reminders

• Refer to last page

– Check field– Inspect bats/gear– Have first aid kit available– Check conditions of fences– Working telephone available?

–Warm Up!

Accidental Tracking report

What to let Safety officer know when call with injury– Date and time– Witnesses?– Where did the incident occur?– What was the position of the person?– Type of injury?– First Aid required?– Short Description (970 262-6670) or (303-668-9355)

Lightning Kill

• Keep an eye on the sky!

• If you hear thunder you are in danger!

• Do not resume activities until 30 minutes after the last thunder was heard

• When in doubt, stop play!

Concussion

• Is a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) • 90% of the time does not involve player being

unconscious• It a functional rather then structural injury –Can’t see it on MRI, CT or other imaging

• Has physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms

Concussion Signs

• Impaired attention – Vacant stare – Delayed responses – Inability to focus

• Slurred or incoherent speech • Gross in-coordination • Disorientation/confusion • Emotional reactions out of proportion • Memory deficits • Any loss of consciousness (less then 10% of the time)

Concussion Symptoms

• Physical – Headache – Fatigue – Dizziness – Balance problems – Nausea – Sensitivity to light and or noise

• Cognitive – Difficulty remembering – Difficulty concentrating – Feeling slowed down – Feeling mentally foggy

• Sleep – Drowsiness – Sleeping less or more then

usual – Trouble falling asleep

• Emotional – Irritability – Sadness – Feeling more emotional – Nervousness

Concussion Cause

• Metabolic Depression – Decrease in oxygen – Increase in energy use

Needs an increase in Glucose – Typically takes 7-10 days to normalize at sea level – WILL TAKE LONGER AT 9,000+ feet – Always takes longer to normalize with children – Younger athletes tend to report more sever

symptoms and longer resolution period

Second Impact Syndrome

– Presumed to happen when an athlete takes a second concussive hit before fully recovering from a concussion

– RESULTS IN: Cerebral edema Vascular engorgement Increased intracranial pressure

– Most common in adolescents – Jake Snakenberg

Repetitive Concussions

– If someone has had a concussion before they are more likely to get a concussion again

– Can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Seen later in life

» Dave Duerson, former member of the Chicago Bears (Passed in February)

» Junior Seau--recently

» Slow deterioration – dementia, parkinson’s, looks like alzheimer’s

Coach’s Roll is to Recognize the signs

– Questions to ask a Player if you suspect a concussion 1) Do you remember the hit? 2) Where are we playing? 3) What half is this? 4) Who scored last? 5) What team did we play last? 6) Did we win the last game?

– Being unaware of what happened even for a few minutes at the time of injury is the most consistent sign that the player is or has been concussed. *

* IRB regulation 10

Course for Concussion training

• Every coach must take the concussion training

• Send me a copy of their certificate of completion ASAP– della@coloradocrones.com

• Go to web site and take course (about 20 minutes)

http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/Training/HeadsUpConcussion.html