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By its very nature, the wonderful game of football can present some risk of injury. It doesn’t matter, what level and what age of the participant, these risks exist. At Football British Columbia the "Safety" of all our participants is our Number 1 Priority. We believe in education as our paramount task. This includes educating our coaches, our officials, our team equipment personnel, our team medical personnel, our athletes and their parents. Football BC is proud to be able to partner with SPORTMEDBC, which sets the standard by which all other sport medicine councils in Canada are judged. As a minimum standard Football BC suggests that all teams should have one medical personnel, who has at least at a minimum, the SportmedBC "Sports Aider Ticket", which means that that person has First Aid, CPR and Athletic taping training. [ Back to Top ]
If you have ever asked yourself! What should I be prepared to do in handling an emergency? What kind of injuries should I be able to handle on the field or in the gym? How can I tell if someone is really injured and requires medical attention? …then the BC SportsAid Program is for you. SportMedBC's SportsAid Program is the national standard for Sports First-Aid training across the country. The course is specifically designed for anyone involved in sport or fitness activities. SportMedBC offers courses that will help you make quick, clear decisions regarding any sport or fitness related injury. Through sports first-aid training, coaches and other volunteer sport leaders can learn to implement injury prevention strategies and develop their ability to deal confidently with emergency situations and injuries. SportMedBC issues a nationally recognized SportsAid Certificate to individuals who have completed the following courses: Sports First-Aid, Athletic Taping and CPR C. Program Goals Prevention is Better than the Cure – the primary goal of the SportsAider is to prevent injury. Never Allow Minor Injuries to Become Major Ones – One of the main functions of the SportsAider is to recognize and manage minor injuries, and to prevent them from becoming serious problems. When in Doubt Refer – SportsAiders must recognize their limitations in managing sports injuries and understand the importance of medical referral to health care professionals. Sports Aider training is available by contacting Ted Lorenz at: tlorenz@sportmedbc.com or by phone at 604 737-5054. Football BC is hosting a student trainers workshop during Sr. Bowl Week. [ Back to Top ] TIPS FOR PREVENTING FOOTBALL INJURIES To help your child avoid injury while playing football, follow these safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other sports and health organizations. (Note: Adults should heed this safety guidance, too.)
Whether your child plays football on an organized team or with a few friends in the park, there are still injury risks. Unfortunately, few children who play in backyard football games follow the safety rules observed in league play. As a parent, set rules for informal play, including these:
You can help reinforce these rules by setting a good example. When you play football--or any other sport--always follow the rules and wear appropriate safety gear. © 2007 safeusa [ Back to Top ]
WHAT
THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT FOOTBALL! Thursday, April 11, 2002 Injuries Uncommon in Youth Football, Mayo Clinic Study Reports ROCHESTER, MINN. -- A Mayo Clinic study of youth football showed that most injuries that occurred were mild, older players appeared to be at a higher risk and that no significant correlation exists between body weight and injury. The study, which appears in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that the data for athletes grades four through eight indicated that the risk of injury in youth football does not appear greater than the risk associated with other recreational or competitive sports. "Our analysis showed that youth football injuries are uncommon," said Michael J. Stuart, M.D., a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and the principal author of the study. Dr. Stuart and his colleagues studied 915 players aged 9 to 13 years, who participated on 42 football teams in the fall of 1997. Injury incidence, prevalence and severity were calculated for each grade level and player position. Additional analyses examined the number of injuries according to body weight. A game injury was defined as any football-related ailment that occurred on the field during a game that kept a player out of competition for the reminder of the game, required the attention of a physician, and included all concussion, lacerations, as well as dental, eye and nerve injuries. The researchers found a total of 55 injuries occurred in games during the season — a prevalence of six percent. Incidence of injury expressed as injury per 1,000 player-plays was lowest in the fourth grade (.09 percent), increased for the fifth, sixth and seventh grades (.16 percent, .16 percent, .15 percent respectively) and was highest in the eighth grade (.33 percent). Most of the injuries were mild and the most common type was a contusion, which occurred in 33 players. Four injuries (fractures involving the ankle growth plate) were such that they prevented players from participating for the rest of the season. No player required hospitalization or surgery. The study’s authors said risk increases with level of play (grade in school) and player age. Older players in the higher grades are more susceptible to football injuries. The risk of injury for an eighth-grade player was four times greater than the risk of injury for a fourth-grade player. Potential contributing factors include increased size, strength, speed and aggressiveness. Analysis of body weight indicated that lighter players were not at increased risk for injury, and in fact heavier players had a slightly higher prevalence of injury. This trend was not statistically significant. Running backs are at greater risk when compared with other football positions, the researchers reported. Other authors who contributed to the study include: Michael A. Morrey, Ph.D., Aynsley M. Smith, RN, Ph.D., John K. Meis, M.S., all from the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and Cedric J. Ortiguera, M.D., a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon in Jacksonville, Fla. Mayo Clinic Proceedings is a peer-reviewed and indexed general internal medicine journal, published for 75 years by Mayo Foundation, with a circulation of 130,000 nationally and internationally. Contact: TERMS
OF USE APPLICABLE TO THIS ARTICLE AS EXTRACTED FROM THE MAYO CLINIC
WEBSITE [ Back to Top ]
YOUTH FOOTBALL INJURIES UNCOMMON A Statement by Dave Ogrean, USA Football Executive Director Every year, more than 12 million kids play football, and that number is ever-growing. The well-being of young players is promoted through finely detailed safety practices and age/weight standards.Over the years, youth football leagues have adjusted the rules of the game to reduce the risk of injuries. Evidence of the direct result of football's strict guidelines at the youth level is displayed in an analysis by the Mayo Clinic that indicated in a 2002 report that "the risk of injury in youth football does not appear greater than other recreational or competitive sports." In fact, the report stated that "youth football injuries are uncommon." Two of the nation's premiere youth football organizations, Pop Warner and American Youth Football, set high safety standards for their players and coaches. Players are grouped according to their age and weight, in order to avoid mismatches, and different divisions are designed to overlap in age to offer maximum opportunity for safe participation. Another important precaution at the youth level is the proper fitting of equipment. Youth leagues ensure that all players have high quality helmets, padding, and other gear when on the playing field, which greatly minimizes the risk of injury. The fact that most injuries are predictable, and thus preventable, should make the issue of injury non-problematic. However, the most significant problems involving injury arise when players do not notify coaches or adults that they have been injured. Re-injury is also a common problem when both players and coaches do not allow proper time for injuries to heal. These problems are easily avoidable through instructing players to report injuries and afterwards insisting on the resolution of injuries before a return to participation. While no physical activity will ever be totally free of injury, youth football programs are continually working to improve themselves and ensure that more kids each year benefit from the sport's many lessons. (January 2005) From USA Football Website [ Back to Top ] For years the NFL has required a poster be
displayed prominently in all NFL locker rooms as a reminder to play heads
up football.
If your team does not have any of these posters, please
contact the Football BC office immediately!
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