By Dr. Richard P. Borkowski
Richard P. Borkowski, EdD, CMAA, is a sport safety consultant based in Narberth, Pa., who served as the Director of Physical Education and Athletics at the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa., for 33 years. His most recent book is titled Coaching for Safety, A Risk Management Handbook for Coaches, published by ESD112 in Vancouver, Wash.
Coaching Management, 12.2, February 2004, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/cm/cm1202/risks.htm
This article concerns the most boring subject there is in sports: safety. It’s boring, that is, until an athlete suffers a serious injury.
The implementation of solid safety rules will not guarantee your athletes freedom from injury, but it will lower the chances of both common and serious catastrophic injuries. Decreasing the chance of injury lowers the chance of facing expensive, time-consuming, program-shattering lawsuits.
The following are your legal responsibilities as a coach. They are based on a consensus of those in athletics, an ongoing review of court cases, and my experience as an athletic risk manager. They are also what a good coach does—offer a worthwhile athletic experience that manages the risks of participation.
However, when in doubt about your duties, seek the advice of your school’s legal counsel. Do it before an accident happens in your program.
The Right Attitude
The first step in lowering risks is to make safety important by constantly making it a priority. Correct safety problems immediately. Say, “No, we won’t play,” if a situation is hazardous.
Sell safety in your actions and speech. Work with your athletes on making the dugout, on-deck circle, and batting cage safer. Avoid terms such as “suicide” drill. Remind your athletes of their responsibility for the safety of themselves and others.
Point out that while baseball is a non-contact sport, it remains a high-risk activity. Baseballs, after all, are projectiles whether batted or thrown. Remind players that bats are potentially dangerous. Teach the habit of checking that no one is nearby before taking warm-up cuts. Never let an incident of bat-slinging go without addressing it.
When you preach safety, athletes are less prone to risky behavior. When parents see you take safety seriously, they will trust your judgement, even after an injury. When you make safety a priority, you will spot hazards more easily.
Warn of Risks
Some coaches believe that if you inform student-athletes of potential injuries, they will stop participating. This has proven to be untrue. In fact, warning and obtaining an informed-consent form from players and parents is an established duty, and informing people about the potential risks of participating in any activity actually reduces injuries.
Informed-consent forms help spell out just what the potential risks are. The form should include pertinent words in large print, such as “Warning,” “Attention,” and “Please Read.” The heading on the form should also be in large print. The form should cover all phases, sites, and timeframes. Your legal counsel should review the informed-consent form. After it has been signed, give a copy to each student-athlete’s parents, and keep the original.
It is important that the recipient and his parents understand the seriousness of the consent form. Have a parent-information meeting to discuss the risks and benefits of participation. Ask parents and players if they have any questions and if they understand what they are signing. They should know that signing the form is voluntary, and that by doing so, they are agreeing to accept the risks that come with participation.
After the form is signed, warnings and reminders should be issued. They should be frequent and given within the context of normal instruction.
Super Supervision
Lack of supervision is the most-cited complaint against coaches. The coaches’ presence is the first line of defense against potential problems. Permitting players to remain on the field for extra unsupervised work is not an option.
Being there, however, is only the first step. Supervision means controlling the situation through your knowledge and planning. A big part of this is foreseeing potential problems. Dr. Frederick Mueller, the well-respected analyst of catastrophic athletic injuries, suggests that serious baseball injuries happen in one of three ways:
• A player being hit with a ball. Two ways to appreciably decrease the chance of this causing serious injury are properly fitted helmets and using screens during batting practice.
• Players colliding with one another. You can limit this problem through clear instruction regarding the responsibilities of defensive players. Teach and practice calling for fly balls, including communication among teammates who are running while watching the ball.
• Sliding head-first. One source I’ve seen says that 75 percent of the 1.7 million base running injuries occur during sliding. Teaching how to slide and the use of bases that give will help lower these statistics.
Position yourself to see as much of a practice situation as possible. Learn to continually scan the activity. Avoid distractions. While you’re supervising a drill is not the time to talk with others.
Appropriate Equipment
Equipment lasts for only a certain length of time. Replace it before it is no longer functional.
It would be considered a breach of your duty as a coach if you did not provide batting helmets that fit properly and offer adequate coverage. But go further: Make rules that any offensive player venturing onto the field during play for any purpose—including the on-deck circle and the coach’s box—is to wear a batting helmet.
Other protective equipment is essential, such as protective athletic cups for fielders, and at least a mask for bullpen and warm-up catchers. Use protective screens for batting-practice pitchers, and make sure the batting cage stops balls properly. Make players waiting their turn aware of the dangers of standing too close to the batting cage.
Equipment should be purchased only from established and reputable companies. I would avoid new “state of the art” equipment until it becomes “established.” Training devices should be proven safe before they are used.
Avoid modifying equipment or using it for any activity other than for its intended purpose. For example, years ago a coach attached a rope to numerous balls to use in a hitting drill. The idea was players would kneel on the ground and twirl the rope like a lariat, with teammates taking their cuts as the ball swung around. The invention was scrapped when several of the kneeling players were hit in the eye by the ball or received neck burns from the rope.
Check Facilities
We’ve all seen an outfielder run into something while trying to chase down a fly ball. The goal is to avoid or soften such collisions. The majority of field architects recommend a soil and sand mix for warning tracks as well as making them a certain width, typically 6 feet. Outfield fences should be shock absorbing. Consider using “breakaway” or “impact” bases.
Also, be sure you have appropriate buffer zones. Unprotected spectators and players on the bench or in the bullpen are risk management concerns. Assign someone to check the field and other practice facilities on a daily basis. Look for holes and debris, and check the bleachers. A good field or piece of equipment can change overnight due to vandalism. Consider guardrails.
Practicing in weather that creates a sloppy field is dangerous, as is remaining outside during a lightning storm. When practice is moved inside, there must be planned and controlled use of space. A ball becomes a more dangerous projectile because of walls, lighting and glass.
Inside or out, avoid loose balls during practice.
Any sport becomes dangerous when played at unsuitable sites. A parking lot is not a place for practice. It is the coach’s duty to inspect the site he or she is going to use. If there is a problem, correct it. If it cannot be corrected immediately, adjust the activity and report the problem. Stay current with facility recommendations made by local, state, and national governing bodies, and stay in communication with the maintenance department.
Know The Rules
There is no excuse for not staying current with all rules and regulations. You must fulfill the requirements of the national and state associations. Read the rulebook every season. Attend state and local meetings. Never ignore any regulation that pertains to safety. Follow your athletic department rules. Talk with your athletic director at least once a year about safety.
Know the basic rules of health safety. You are not expected to know all that an athletic trainer knows, but do stay current on the major guidelines. For example, it would be considered a breach of your duty as a coach if you prevented your players from taking water breaks during practice, or if you suggested heat for a recent acute injury. If you recommend nutritional supplements, be sure there are absolutely no risks to taking them. Know proper warmup and cooldown techniques.
Planned Progression
A key part of risk management, one recently at issue in the courts, is the coach’s role in instructing his or her athletes in a progressive, safe manner. You have a responsibility to develop a sequence of progressive practice sessions and offer game preparation and strategies that result in a worthwhile and safe experience for students.
This begins with your strength and conditioning program. Progression is the key to proper conditioning, and rest is a key component of progression. Overuse injuries, particularly among pitchers, can lead to a risky situation. While the responsibility lies ultimately with you, explain to pitchers that knowing their own limits is in their self-interest. Always check with your team physician and athletic trainer before implementing a new idea. Trying to do too much too soon is a bad mistake coaches sometimes make.
Progression is just as important in teaching skills. Don’t ask your players to dive for a ball if you haven’t taught them—and had them practice—how to protect themselves. Correct sliding cannot be overemphasized. Coaches who do not teach and practice how to slide turn this baseball skill into an inappropriate activity. Teach your athletes to be particularly attentive to both not catching their own spikes on a base or playing surface and not getting spiked on the hand when sliding.
Another part of proper progression is to keep competitions as equal as possible. Skill, experience, maturity, height, weight, age, mental state, and the activity itself all play a part in avoiding competitive mismatching. A freshman third-baseman may not have the reflexes to play the hot corner against varsity batters, and the first-year second baseman may be no match for a husky senior trying to break up a double play.
Thorough Instruction
Along with progression must be appropriate instruction. You not only have a duty to instruct your athletes to play well, but to teach the proper techniques to lower the chance of injury.
The repetition of fundamental skills is one of the major and often neglected ways to lower risk. Demonstrate the skill and let players practice it in various ways before using it in a game. Teach before you test. Never place an athlete into a situation he is not prepared for.
Ask yourself if you are running an activity in an acceptable manner. Coach only that which you really know. Improve your knowledge at workshops.
After the Injury
Regardless of the excellence of a risk management program, injuries will occur. A coach is expected to have basic knowledge of what to and not do.
Most importantly, you must know how to implement your emergency plan. Do you know what to do at an away game when there is a serious injury? Whom do you call? Do you have a cell phone? Where is the nearest gate opening? Practice your emergency game plan before an emergency happens.
Coaches should have training in basic first aid and CPR. Obtain an AED and make sure someone present knows how to use it. Maintain a first aid kit that includes individual emergency medical forms. Obtain a higher level of medical care as quickly as possible.
Protect the player from further harm, and comfort the athlete. Do not offer medical assistance beyond your ability. Remember the golden rule of injury assessment and first aid care: Assume and treat for the worst possible injury.
Report and document the incident as soon as possible. Reports should be factual and to the point—do not editorialize. Avoid post-injury discussions with anyone but your supervisor or medical personnel. An athlete should not return to play without a completed “return-to-play” form.
Along with knowing first aid care, the most important thing you can do after an athlete suffers an injury is show his parents you care. Parents are less apt to take a coach to court if the coach seems genuinely concerned about the welfare of the student-athlete.
Maintain Records
As often as possible, put things in writing and keep records. This includes checklists, practice plans, training plans, medical examination forms, the athletic handbook, informed-consent forms, and return-to-play agreements. A written plan lowers the chance of forgetting an issue, demonstrates your professionalism, and saves time in the future. Check with your administrator as to how long to retain these records. My sources suggest four to seven years.
The records must reflect what you actually did. If your rules state athletes cannot practice without passing a physical but you permit a student to play who hasn’t, you may be found negligent.
On A Daily Basis
The best defense against injuries and possible lawsuits is to understand, appreciate, and meet your legal duties as a coach. You may have noticed that they are the same as the basic duties of a good coach.