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NSCAA, NCSS Offer Online Sports Safety Course PREPARE will benefit coaches at the youth and interscholastic levels
Author: NCSS and NSCAA
Mission, KS and Birmingham, AL — The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is joining forces with the National Center for Sports Safety (NCSS) to offer its members a comprehensive online sports safety course, which is known by the acronym of PREPARE
“Providing the PREPARE sports safety course through our web site is a valuable service to the two largest segments of our membership, youth and high school coaches,” says NSCAA President Joe Cummings. “Accessing this valuable training through the Internet makes it convenient and user-friendly and extends our reach far beyond our traditional outlets of our coaching academy courses. This is a tremendous step forward for NSCAA in service to all soccer coaches, members and non-members alike.”
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more than 775,000 children under age 14 are treated in emergency rooms each year for sports-related injuries. Nearly half of these injuries were preventable, but statistics from the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation show that fewer than 10 percent of the nation's 2.5 million volunteer coaches and 33 percent of interscholastic coaches have any type of coaching education.
To raise the national standards of coaches responsible for the safety and well-being of millions of young athletes, NCSS, in conjunction with the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), developed PREPARE, an online sports safety course for coaches, particularly volunteer moms and dads, who need basic sports safety education.
PREPARE covers everything from minor injuries, like blisters, nose bleeds and ankle sprains, to life-threatening situations such as head and neck injuries. The NSCAA, in conjunction with NCSS, is offering the course through its web site at www.NSCAA.com The three-hour course only costs $28.
Course participants learn to PREPARE an acronym that represents each of the targeted emphasis areas of the course:
- P — Pre-plan, in case of emergencies;
- R — Recognize emergencies;
- E — Emergency Plan (pinpoint the steps needed to be taken once an emergency has occurred);
- P — Principles of First Aid (learn the basic first aid techniques every coach should know);
- A — ABCs (become familiar with airway breathing and circulation — the basic steps of CPR);
- R — Return to Play (determine when it is safe for an injured athlete to return to play); and
- E — Enjoy (encourage young athletes to get back into the game).
After completing the course, each coach will receive a sports safety patch and a certificate.
“We believe parents with active children will be heartened to know that PREPARE exists,” says Lawrence J. Lemak, M.D., founder of the NCSS. “Most mothers and fathers wouldn't drop their children off at the local swimming pool without a certified lifeguard on duty. Why shouldn't their children receive the same protection during practice or while competing in a game? At a sports facility, PREPARE provides coaches with emergency planning and recognition guidelines which will allow them to respond appropriately until professional help arrives.”
“Prevention of injuries is always key, and certified athletic trainers (ATCs) believe that parents and coaches need to be educated on how to help young athletes prevent injuries on and off the field,” says certified athletic trainer Al Green, MEd., ATC, EMT, who was a major contributor to the development of the course.
“ PREPARE will give volunteer coaches the confidence they need to handle a wide variety of situations, including possibly saving some lives. It's not practical to have qualified medical personnel at each youth sports practice and game. That's why a program like this is so important.”
PREPARE focuses on the basics of: emergency planning; heat and cold illnesses; emergency recognition; medical considerations; principles of first aid; head, neck and facial injuries; and warm-up and cool down. The flexibility of online learning allows participants to complete the course at their own pace. The NCSS also is establishing a network of health care professionals, including physicians and certified athletic trainers, who can teach the hands-on course in a group setting classroom.
NSCAA: Craig Bohnert, Assistant Executive Director, 800-458-0678, cbohnert@nscaa.com.
NCSS: April Morin, Executive Director, 877-900-NCSS, amorin@SportsSafety.org