By Dr. Richard P. Borkowski
Richard P. Borkowski, EdD, CMAA, is a sport safety consultant based in Narberth, Pa. The former Director of Physical Education and Athletics at the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa., his most recent book is titled Coaching for Safety, A Risk Management Handbook for High School Coaches, published by ESD112.
Coaching Management, 12.3, March 2004, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/cm/cm1203/safelandings.htm
This article is about the most boring subject there is in sports: safety. It’s boring, that is, until an athlete suffers a serious injury.
Coaches must know and appreciate their risk management duties. 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. Lowering the chance of injury lowers the chance of expensive, time-consuming, program-shattering lawsuits.
The following are your legal responsibilities as a coach. My suggestions are based on a consensus of opinions by people in athletics, an ongoing review of court cases, and my years of experience as an athletic risk manager.
They’re the kind of things a good coach does naturally, offering a worthwhile athletic experience that minimizes the risk of injury. If after reading this article, you have any doubts about your own responsibilities, seek the advice of your school’s legal counsel—before your next accident.
The Right Attitude
The speed, skill, and size of today’s players have changed basketball into a faster and more physical game than was intended when developed by Dr. Naismith over 100 years ago. This has certainly made the game more exciting, but has also made players more prone to injury.
A 2003 Canadian study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that the most common mechanism of injury is contact with another player, especially in the key. It was also found that injuries occur 3.7 times more often in games than during practice. The lack of protective equipment, small court space, and the closeness of the crowd, as well as the actions of the coach, all play a critical role in basketball risk management.
The very first step in lowering risks is to make the issue of safety important by constantly making it a priority. Correct safety problems immediately. Say, "No, we won’t play," if a situation is hazardous.
Sell athletic safety to your student-athletes in both your actions and your speech. Ask your athletes to help you clear away hazardous objects, such as metal chairs next to the practice court. Explain to your athletes the danger of practicing dunks on a side backboard that can’t hold their weight. Remind your athletes of their responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others on the court.
Also consider your own actions come game time. Coaches who teach unsportsmanlike techniques to get an edge turn basketball into an inappropriate activity. On the flip side, if you take a player out of the game for making a rough foul, you are making a huge statement about the importance of safety in your program.
When athletes hear you preach safety, they will be less apt to attempt risky behavior. When parents see you take safety seriously, they will trust you and your judgement, even after an injury happens. When you put a priority on safety in your own planning, you will be able to spot hazards more easily.
Warn of Risks
Some coaches feel 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.
It may seem obvious that an athlete can get hurt in basketball, but 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 time frames. 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 understands 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.
Even after the form has been signed, warnings and reminders should be regularly issued within the context of normal instruction.
Super Supervision
Lack of supervision is the most-cited complaint against coaches in wrongful injury lawsuits. The coaches’ presence during an activity is the first line of defense against potential problems. Permitting players to remain on the court for extra work without supervision is no longer an option.
Being there, however, is only the first step. Supervision means controlling the situation through your knowledge and planning. First, you must be completely familiar with the activity you are supervising. You must plan appropriate activities for the group you are working with, taking the time to foresee potential problems.
Second, you should be scanning the activity from the best vantage point, which is usually with your "back to the wall." Avoid distractions. While you’re supervising a drill is not the time to talk with others.
Appropriate Equipment
The days of giving old, poorly-fitting equipment to the freshman team are over. Equipment lasts for only a certain length of time. Replace it before it is no longer functional and it becomes dangerous.
Appropriate footwear is key for basketball players, thus the sneakers they wear should only be worn on the court. Mouthguards are also a good idea. Any training devices should be proven safe before they are used.
In addition, buy only from established and reputable companies. Avoid purchasing new "state of the art" equipment until it becomes "established" equipment.
Avoid modifying equipment or using it for any activity other than what it was intended for. Years ago I purchased a dozen sets of glasses that prevented players from looking down at the ball while dribbling. They also prevented players from seeing other players on the court. The collisions did not result in lawsuits, but they did cause a few minor and unnecessary injuries.
Check Facilities
Basketball facilities can often be filled with hazards. We’ve all seen a player run into something while trying to chase down an errant pass. The goal is to avoid or soften such collisions.
First, be sure you have appropriate "buffer zones." The 1998 National High School Federation Basketball Rules Book suggests a minimum of three feet, and preferably 10 feet, of open space around the court.
The lack of space in older gyms can make safety difficult, so you need to be vigilant. I recommend that any walls within six feet of the playing area be padded. The distance needed behind the backboard is sometimes more—if your players might reach the wall during play, pad it. Do not place the scorer’s table close to the sideline unless it has padding. Look at windows and lighting fixtures to see if they need padding.
In addition, do not place two courts too close together. The minimum is six feet between courts, but athletes racing for a ball can easily move 12 feet. I recommend 24 feet between adjacent courts.
Other problem areas include: failing to check backboard cables, playing with rims that don’t break on impact, and not padding side court backboards. If you are using bleachers, thoroughly inspect them. Put up guardrails, and work with administrators to make sure you have enough security at games and have ensured yourself against overcrowded bleachers. Remember that sportsmanlike conduct on the part of players and coaches helps remind spectators to follow suit.
It is the coach’s duty to inspect the site he or she is going to use on a daily basis. Check for debris, dirt, wet spots on floors, and missing or raised floor plates. 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 your school’s maintenance department.
Know The Rules
You are required to know the rules of your sport and 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. There is no excuse for not staying current with all rules and regulations.
Follow your athletic department rules and regulations. Consider talking with your athletic director at least once a year about safety issues. If you have questions, seek outside opinions.
Know the basic rules of health safety. You are not expected to know all that an athletic trainer knows, but it’s important for you to 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 failed to have a first aid kit on the bench. If you recommend any type of nutritional supplements to your players, be sure there are absolutely no risks to taking them. Know about proper warmup and cooldown.
Progressive Planning
A key part of risk management is the coach’s role in instructing his or her athletes in a safe manner. You have a responsibility to develop a sequence of progressive practice sessions and offer game preparation and strategies that result in worthwhile and safe experiences for your student-athletes.
This begins with your strength and conditioning program. Progression is the key to proper conditioning, and rest is a key component. Trying to do too much too soon is a bad mistake coaches sometimes make. There is extensive information available concerning proper physical conditioning. It also tells us what exercises are inappropriate. Have an out-of-season conditioning program, establish training rules and policies, and put your plans and rules in writing. Always check with your team physician and athletic trainer before implementing a new idea.
Progression is just as important in teaching skills. For example, don’t ask your players to take a charge if you haven’t taught them—and had them practice—how to reasonably protect themselves when doing this.
Another part of proper progression is to keep competitions as equal as possible. Skill, experience, maturity, height, weight, age, sex, mental state, and the activity itself, all play a part in avoiding competitive mismatching. For example, the coach of a girls’ high school team may think it’s a great idea to follow what some elite collegiate women’s teams do and invite an all-male team to scrimmage the girls to "toughen them up." But if a player from that all-male team is bigger, stronger, and quicker than any competition the girls have ever seen, the situation is not safe.
Good Instruction
Along with giving proper progression, you must provide appropriate instruction. You not only have a duty to instruct your athletes to play well, but you must teach the proper techniques to lower their chances of injury.
The repetition of fundamental skills is one of the major, and often neglected, techniques used to lower risk. Have the skill demonstrated and let the players practice it in various ways before using it in a game. Teach before you test. Never, ever place an athlete into a situation he or she is not prepared for.
Ask yourself if you are running an activity in an acceptable manner. Is the way you run your standard fast break drill the best and safest way to do it?
In addition, coach only that which you really know. Continue to improve your knowledge by attending workshops.
After the Injury
Regardless of the excellence of a risk management program, injuries will still occur. Coaches are expected to have a basic knowledge of what should and should not be done when a player is injured.
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 exit? 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 after an injury.
Protect your players from further harm. Comfort your athletes. Do not offer medical assistance beyond your ability. Remember the golden rule of injury assessment and first aid care: Always assume and treat for the worst possible injury.
Report and document all incidents as soon as possible. Accident reports should be factual and to the point. Do not editorialize. Avoid offering information to those in the area except to your supervisors or medical personnel.
An athlete should not return to play after an injury or illness without a completed "return-to-play" form. According to the AJSM study, the relative risk of re-injury was significantly increased by previous injuries.
Along with being knowledgeable in first aid care, the single most important thing you can do when your athletes are injured is to show them and their parents that you care. Although it sounds simple, parents are less apt to take a coach to court if he or she seems to have been genuinely concerned about the welfare of their child.
Maintain Records
As often as possible, put things in writing and keep records. This includes checklists, practice plans, training plans, medical examination forms, athletic handbooks, informed-consent forms, and return-to-play agreements. Following a written plan lowers the chance of forgetting an issue and demonstrates your professionalism. It will save you a great deal of time in the future.
Check with your athletic administrator about the length of time you should retain all these records. My sources suggest four to seven years.
One more note here: The records you keep on file must reflect what you actually did in a situation. If your written rules state athletes cannot practice without passing a physical and then you permit a student to play who hasn’t, you may be found negligent.
On A Daily Basis
Whether you’re going to a practice, strength workout, or game, as you walk into every situation, ask yourself, have I done all that is reasonable to lower the chance of injury to my athletes? Have I checked for hazards? Have I reviewed the safety of the drills? Have I taught my athletes how to be safe?
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 responsibilities of a good coach.
It’s a matter of staying vigilant and caring about those who play for you. Let’s keep risk management boring.
For more articles on risk management by Dr. Borkowski, including one on buffer zones, please visit our Web site at www.AthleticSearch.com and type "Borkowski" into the search window.
A version of this article has appeared in previous editions of Coaching Management.
Sidebar: A Short List
Every basketball coach needs to:
• Recognize that risks exist.
• Identify those risks.
• Evaluate the risks.
• Have a plan to reduce the risks.
• Closely supervise the program.
• Remind participants of their role in controlling risks.
• Always remain vigilant. Risk management is a continual process.
• Review and revise the program when necessary.
• Ask for assistance from supervisors.
• Care about the welfare of all athletes.