Emergency Response

Limitations do not create exceptions – concussion education can be the answer

February 16, 2017

Lexi Chaput

Assistant Director – Club Sports

University of Michigan

Within every Campus Recreation department, different types of risks are managed differently based on the resources dedicated to the program, but with more and more discussion taking place about head injuries in sports participation, resource limitations are no longer a valid reason for a department saying they ‘can’t’ when it comes to response and management. Regardless of your size, structure, or resources, education is always a viable option, and can be a valid response when Risk Management calls and wants to know what you are doing to keep participants safe.

A Future of Uncertainty for Club Sports

For those whose Club Sports are insured by the University, it’s important to know that the future of that coverage has the potential to change dramatically, and could result in higher costs or added requirements. In a recent conversation with our Risk Management Office, they are anticipating changes to our liability coverage. While our insurance providers have so far not mentioned “no coverage” for head injuries sustained during activity, limitations on coverage could be implemented, especially surrounding timelines – specifically around when the injury was reported, and if the injury was the first of its kind sustained. Read more

Leave Concussion Management to the Pros – Hire an Athletic Trainer

February 16, 2017

Robin Bowman, M.Ed., ATC

Assistant Director for Injury Prevention & Care

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Concussions have been a hot topic in sports and recreation for the past few years. It seems like every week there is new research coming out that helps us better understand this injury. While it’s great that the medical community is making strides in understanding the mechanisms by which symptoms of concussions happen and recover, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest advances.

Between the difficulty in keeping up with the best practices in recognition, treatment, and return to activity following concussions and the increase in class action lawsuits against sporting organizations who are perceived as not doing enough to protect athletes from the long-lasting effects of mild traumatic brain injury, recreation professionals can feel overwhelmed.

Wouldn’t it be nice if your department had someone on staff that had extensive training in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of concussions and other injuries? An athletic trainer may be just what your department needs. Athletic trainers are skilled in the prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Read more

Campus Collaborators Making Big Impact on Florida State University Campus

December 08, 2016

Angela Sehgal, EdD, LAT, ATC
Program Director, Athletic Training
Program Director, Pre-Health Professions Learning Community
Graduate Faculty Member, Sports Sciences
Florida State University

The Beginning
Several years ago at Florida State University (FSU), the question was asked…why don’t the campus recreation athletes receive the same treatment and care as the student-athletes do in the Athletic Department? The answer to that question served as a catalyst for dialogue between the Athletic Training and Sports Sciences faculty from the FSU College of Human Sciences, Director of University Health Services, Medical Director of Health and Wellness Center, and the Director of Campus Recreation and affiliated staff. Specific strategies started to emerge about the possibilities of comprehensive, on-campus, sports medicine care for all FSU students who were physically active. Read more

A Strategy for Educating Students about the Active Shooter

December 08, 2016

Teaching with Stories and Content
Cara W. McFadden, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Sport and Event Management
School of Communications
Elon University

In the wake of over 200 mass shootings in 2016, it is important for practitioners to view themselves as educators to discuss strategies for teaching future collegiate recreation professionals about active shooter protocols (as well as train current student employees). For this article practitioners will be called educators.

The Gun Violence Archive defines a “mass shooting” as any event where there are four or more people injured or killed. The most recent mass shooting at the Orlando Pulse night club killed 49 people. This and other similar occurrences are happening in our public spaces where individuals should feel safe – schools, movie theaters, churches, community facilities, and other social gathering spaces. With the awareness that Campus Recreation centers can also be included under ‘public spaces’, professionals need to be prepared in the event of a mass shooting occurring in their recreation facilities.

This article focuses on the concern of the active shooter in sport and recreation environments and the role practitioners play in educating students to have a survival mindset. Strategies will be shared from an example of a course taught at Elon University entitled, Facilities and Venue Management. The course concentrates on the use of personal story telling with an active shooter incident, case study analysis, and application to the industry.
The pedagogy or teaching strategy used for the course is divided into three course meetings that could also be planned for three training sessions (or day long training).
Read more

The Importance of Concussion Awareness and Education in the Campus Recreation setting

October 04, 2016

Lexi Chaput
Assistant Director – Club Sports
University of Michigan

Concussions continue to be in the forefront of sports news. In January 2016, a federal judge approved a settlement in a class-action suit against the NCAA that created new mandates for response to head injury. Whether it is fair and accurate or not, the comparison between Club Sports and NCAA athletics is frequently drawn. The Risk Management Department or University Legal is unlikely to understand the difference – their ultimate concern being the potential insurance claims and lawsuits that could result from an activity. Despite the fact that there is typically a significant difference in the amount of resources (both human and financial) provided to an NCAA team vs. a Club Sport’s team, the risk of injury does not change, hence the need for education and response to head injuries also does not change.

Read more

Is your Emergency Response Plan up to snuff?

April 28, 2016

And how do you find out if it is?

Ian McGregor, Ph.D.
President, SportRisk

The dreaded words ‘Code Red in the Weight Room’ spat out from the Front Desk’s walkie-talkie (Code Red signifies a serious medical emergency). The student supervisor reacted immediately by calling 911 – and reading from a pre-prepared script taped to the desk, told the operator the facility address and exact location of where the fire department or ambulance should come. She then went to meet the emergency responders, and led them to the weight room.

Meanwhile in the weight room, the student supervisor was applying CPR to the male client who had collapsed of an apparent heart attack (it turns out that the client was dead before he hit the floor). The fire department arrived first and took over the scene. Read more

For more information on our Online Courses,
contact us now!