:: SportsSafety.org/Press Corner/
Coaches Education Program includes sports-safety course to prevent common injuries
Author: Bob Labbe, for the Madison Spirit bob0873@yahoo.com
Being a coach is more than teaching players the rules of a sport. Coaches needs to PREPARE themselves.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association requires certified coaches to develop as coaches by meeting certain criteria under the AHSAA Coaches Education Program. One required program a coach must study is PREPARE, a sports-safety course created by the National Center for Sports Safety. The program is accepted by the AHSAA as an exemption for the required first-aid course.
"We do recommend that all coaches take a refresher course in first aid and we highly recommend the PREPARE course," said Joe Evans, AHSSA associate executive director. He helps oversee the coaches' education program.
Kent Chambers, athletic director at Bob Jones High School and longtime softball coach for the Patriots, said, "I think the Coaches Education Program has been very positive. It was instituted a few years ago as a way to make sure each of our student-athletes were being taught by qualified adults. We need the best qualified adults to coach our young people here at Bob Jones."
The AHSAA certifies coaches only after they have completed several programs within the Coaches Education Program, including coaching principles, first aid/safety, certified CPR training and STAR Sportsmanship.
"We know the entire training process can be a little inconvenient for some, but I think it is well worth the effort," Chambers said.
PREPARE is a sports-safety course aimed at educating coaches how to prevent common sports injuries, how to recognize symptoms of injuries and other potentially dangerous conditions, and how to respond properly in emergency situations or injuries to athletes.
