Safety

St. Clement Parish Athletic Committee

- Safety/Emergency Guidelines -

Outlined below are SCAC approved guidelines that should be followed at each SCAC sponsored event.

A.) Prevention

Each Head Coach is responsible for:

1.) Observing whether each athlete appears to be able to participate and is not at risk to themselves or others. This includes obvious existing injuries and illnesses.

2.) Making sure that each athlete appears to be properly attired for sport participation. This includes, at the coaches’ discretion, the removal of any inappropriate clothing and jewelry.

3.) Observing the sporting environment to make sure obvious hazards are not present that may increase the risk of accident or injury.

4.) Ensuring adequate supervision of all athletes from the start to the end of the sporting event.

5.) Always having in their possession:

a.) first aid kit

b.) at least one ice bag

c.) each participant’s Sports Participation Health History form which must list, i.) any known health risks, ii.) emergency contacts, and iii.) the name, address and phone number of the primary physician.

6.) Observing the location of the nearest phone (or have a working cell phone in their possession) in the event of an accident.

7.) Being aware of and knowing how to contact the nearest medical facility at each location that a sporting event is held.

B.) Accident Procedures

1.) For each accident that occurs at a SCAC sporting event (practice and games), the Head Coach should contact the St. Clement Athletic Director.

2.) The Head Coach should inform the athlete’s parent/guardian within a reasonable amount of time (no later than 24 hours) the circumstances surrounding the accident and any administered first aid given to the athlete.

3.) In more serious accident circumstances, all Head Coaches are encouraged to call the athlete’s parent/guardian within two days after the accident to check on the status of the athlete’s condition.

C.) Emergency Procedures

1.) Should an athlete’s accident require immediate professional medical care, the Head/Supervising Coach should immediately try to contact 911 or phone number of the closest medical facility.

2.) The Head/Supervising Coach should attend to the needs of the injured athlete while another coach/parent volunteer should supervise the remaining team members.

3.) At the first appropriate moment, the Head Coach should attempt to contact the parent/guardian listed on the athlete’s Sports Participation Health History form. The Head Coach should explain what happened and where the athlete was taken for medical treatment.

4.) The Head Coach is to stay with the injured athlete until a parent/guardian arrives.

5.) The Head Coach is to notify the St. Clement Athletic Director within 12 hours of the accident. The Athletic Director will then notify the appropriate Parish personnel.

6.) The Head Coach must complete and forward to the St. Clement Athletic Director an Accident Report within 72 hours of the accident. The report will be an explanation in writing of Who, What, Where and Why the injury occurred.

D.) Athlete Eligibility Procedure after Medical Care

1.) To ensure the safety of all program participants, if at any time during the season, whether during involvement in a SCAC sport or not, a child experiences a significant change in their physical health such as broken bones, loss of consciousness, seizures, unusual or labored breathing patterns, consistent, debilitating pains, concussions, deep wounds, excessive bleeding, noticeable physical fatigue, etc., and/or any other conditions which necessitates medical attention, SCAC will require written notification from the child’s licensed physician that they can resume athletic participation.

2.) A letter should be addressed to SCAC stating when the child is able to fully resume their athletic participation PRIOR TO resumption of any athletic activities. This notification should outline ways to prevent the condition from reoccurring, any symptoms to be aware of and what action should be taken should they occur.

3.) NO CHILD WILL BE ALLOWED TO RESUME ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION OF ANY KIND WITHOUT SUCH WRITTEN CLEARANCE PRIOR TO RESUMPTION OF ANY SCAC ACTIVITIES AS OUTLINED ABOVE.

Injury / Accident Form (PDF Format.)