Coaches: Key to Safety in Children’s Sports

Your child wants to play a team sport. You're so thrilled about the voluntary urge for physical activity, that you sign the permission slip, pay the dues and expect the coach to take care of the rest.

The coach will keep junior safe, right?

Coaches have the enthusiasm and organizational skills to coordinate a rowdy group of sporty youth. But, now all coaches have the training to prevent and treat many injuries that occur in team sports.

Great training for your child's sports coach to have includes basic first aid and CPR training and certification. Ideally, your child's coach will have access to and know how to use a portable defibrillator (AED). Having access to a child-size back board, neck braces, EpiPens, rescue inhalers and first aid supplies is very important in a team sports situation.

Your child's coach should be able to instruct child players on how to prevent injuries. Inspecting equipment before, during and after practice and games can help prevent injury. Educating children on overuse injuries can help them prevent further suffering. Explaining that playing through the pain is a bad idea can help protect young bodies.

David Hill, MD, shares what your coach needs in order to keep your child as safe as possible.