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| YOUTH TRAINING TIPS Safety, supervision, and proper instruction are keys to effective youth football conditioning The age of 10 is a significant one for many young football players for several reasons. Games are more competitive, earning a starting position is more difficult, and staying healthy becomes a top priority. Players, parents and coaches often decide it's time to start strength and conditioning and many are looking for a proper program to follow. Some 10-year-olds may be playing competitive sports for the first time. In order to minimize the risk of injury, players and parents must learn proper training techniques and consult with an expert in this field. "No push-ups, no sit-ups, no weight training. You're not even there yet; that stuff comes later," said Mike Barnes of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. "Don't treat young kids like miniature adults. Don't think you are going to implement an hour-long program." Before getting into specifics, safety, supervision, and proper instruction must be addressed. Pre-exercise evaluation, preferably by a sports physician, is recommended before training young football players. "There might be something in the family history like asthma that hasn't shown up yet," Barnes said. "There are a lot of things going on in the body that need to be checked." Once medical exams are complete, proper supervision becomes the focus. "If you are considering doing a resistance training program for young football players, you need to familiarize yourself with the things you need to know," Barnes said. According to NSCA, an estimated 80% of all court cases concerning athletic injuries deal with some aspect of supervision. Proper supervision of a young football player's training program is absolutely a must. NSCA has basic standards for strength and conditioning professionals that suggests parents and coaches keep in mind: * Always be there * Be active and hands-on. * Be prudent, careful and prepared. * Be qualified. * Be vigilant. * Inform athletes of safety and emergency problems. * Know athletes' health status. * Monitor and enforce rules and regulations. * Monitor and study the environment. After learning the basics of supervision, correct instruction methods must be mastered. "If you don't have the knowledge, go get it," said Barnes. "There is a lot of great information out there." To start, NSCA provides some basic guidelines for strength and conditioning for children 14 years and under: Children under seven years of age should not be permitted to engage in Strength and Conditioning activities with free weights or exercise devices/machines in facilities designed for use by adults and adolescents, and should be denied access to such training areas. Children between seven and fourteen years of age must have reached a level of maturity allowing participation in specified Strength and Conditioning activities, as determined and certified by their medical care provider (or by the Strength and Conditioning professional acting in concert with a child's medical care provider). In addition: After clearance for participation, they should be individually assessed by the Strength and Conditioning professional in conjunction with the child's parent(s)/guardian(s)/custodian(s) and health care provider(s) to determine if such children may engage in such activities in areas containing free weights and exercise devices/machines generally used by adults and older children. If so permitted, such activities should be developed and implemented according to the practitioner's professional judgment, in conjunction with the child's health care provider(s). A greater degree of instruction and supervision than that supplied to adolescents and adults is required. |
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| Preventing Overuse Injuries: Avoid Too Much Too Soon When a player is hit on the field and hurts his leg, the damage is easy to see and treat. However, there are injuries related to football that are not visible. Overuse injuries occur from overload or repetitive micro-trauma. There are several overuse injuries, such as tendinitis, shin splints, stress fractures, and bursitis, among others. Coaches need to be aware of the various factors at play in these conditions and set up a line of defense. No pain, no gain? The saying is untrue. Gain is achieved by slowly progressing training so that improvement occurs without causing pain. WHAT COACHES SHOULD KNOW Overuse injuries occur from overload or repetitive micro-trauma. By having players warm up prior to activity and cool down after activity, a coach can help prevent overuse injuries. Overuse injuries may result from specific physical features of the player, such as bone structure, muscle-tendon imbalance, or growth spurts. The athlete should be seen by a physician to address these issues. A coach can minimize overuse injuries by implementing sound training techniques and principles involving the frequency, volume, and intensity of training; using proper and well-fitted equipment (especially shoes); playing and training on appropriate playing surfaces; and teaching proper bio-mechanics. Overuse injuries occur at two distinct times in training: the beginning of an exercise program, and when the athlete is at peak performance and is striving for improvement. To prevent overuse injuries, increase the volume and intensity of training by less than 10 percent per week. Inflammation (generally identified by redness, swelling, and pain) is an early sign of an overuse injury. To care for inflammation, stop the activity. If symptoms of pain and swelling in a localized area persist for more than 3-5 days, a physician should examine the athlete. Specific physical features of the player, such as bone structure, muscle-tendon imbalance, or growth spurts may put a player at increased risk for overuse injury. Other causes include training errors and poor bio-mechanics. Many times, however, a coach can minimize overuse injuries by implementing sound training techniques and principles involving the frequency, volume, and intensity of training;using proper and well-fitted equipment (especially shoes); playing and training on appropriate playing surfaces; and teaching proper bio-mechanics. Overuse injuries generally occur at two distinct times in training. The beginning of an exercise program produces the most injuries because the athlete is not in proper condition for the activity. Injuries can also occur when the athlete is at peak performance and is striving for improvement. It is best to increase the volume and intensity of training by less than 10 percent per week to prevent overuse injuries. Inflammation is an early sign of overuse injuries. Signals of inflammation include swelling, redness, warmth, and impaired function. As a result, it is painful to move the affected body part. An athlete with pain in a localized part of the body that lasts for more than 3-5 days should see a physician. If inflamed body parts are not allowed to rest, more significant tissue breakdown can develop leading to chronic injury, disability, and pain. To treat inflammation, a physician may advise the player to stop the activity. Treatment may include RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), anti-inflammatory medication, and physical therapy or rehabilitative exercises. Prevention is key to avoiding overuse injuries. Warming up prior to activity and cooling down after activity is essential. Training should be varied to prevent repetitive activities that can cause microtrauma to the musculoskeletal system. In addition, training should gradually progress, and there should be gradual adaptation to new conditions such as playing surfaces. Equipment appropriate to the sport should be adjusted to fit each individual. Footwear is especially important. A good athletic shoe with a proper fit is mandatory. Athletes should also be given a day of rest after three or four consecutive days of training or conditioning. Appropriate biomechanics should be taught. If all of the above measures are taken into consideration, overuse injuries can be kept to a minimum |
| EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN EMS personnel access and entry/exit routes -Location of rescue and first aid equipment Location of keys to reach telephones or equipment - Exits and evacuation routes Equipment - Rescue equipment - First aid supplies - Emergency equipment (flashlights, fire extinguishers, etc.) External Support (provide telephone numbers) - EMS personnel Police - Fire - Hazardous materials (Haz-Mat) team - Poison Control Center Hospitals - Power and gas companies - Health department - Weather bureau Communication How and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number - Chain of command Person to contact-parents or guardians - Person to deal with media Support Personnel Within Facility - Coaches - Athletic trainers Athletic officials and referees - Facility administrators - Management personnel External Support (provide telephone numbers) EMS personnel - Police - Fire - Hazardous materials (HazMat) team Poison Control Center - Hospitals - Power and gas companies Health department - Weather bureau Staff Responsibilities (Assign each staff member a duty) Person to provide care - Person to control bystanders and supervise other athletes Person to meet EMS personnel - Person to transport injured athlete when appropriate Follow-up Complete appropriate documentation (incident report, accident report, etc.) Replace equipment and supplies - Emergency Action Plan evaluation Staff debriefing - Critical Incident Stress debriefing (if necessary) Check on condition of injured athlete |
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