This month's article from Marc Rizzardo (see below for Marc's bio) is a BGO - a Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious - that we coaches sometimes don't see.  It is vital, life-saving information.              

MEDICAL HISTORY & MEDICAL INFORMATION

by Marc Rizzardo

All coaches need to be aware of the medical history of the players, as well as of the staff that are in regular contact with the players. There are many reasons for this knowledge including the need to know if the player is allergic to anything - just in case something untoward occurs to the player during a game, on the way to a game, or if the team is away at a tournament.  Ultimately the player and staff are under the responsibility of the head coach.  For example, if a player is allergic to bees, everyone on staff should be aware of this fact and know where to find the EpiPen and how to use it.

In 1993, I was covering soccer as a sports physiotherapist at the Canada Games in Kamloops, BC.  As the play continued down the field, a cluster of players did not join the play and were surrounding a player who was down.  By the time I reached the player he was already starting to turn blue. I assumed he was stung by a bee.  This was a different scenario in that the bee stung the player in the throat inside of his mouth and as a result the entire throat was inflamed and the airway was being constricted.  Applying the EpiPen that I had in our medical bag saved that player's life.

It must be remembered that staff are part of the team.  All medical background must be on file in case the coach or manager has a flare up of a specific condition.  Recently a well known coach crossed the border from Canada into the United States for a tournament.  Unfortunately, he had angina and the start of a severe heart attack.  He was taken to a hospital where he was in intensive care for over one week prior to being transferred back to Vancouver.  The cost was overwhelming for the family.  Luckily he had some travel insurance that covered most of the cost.  Always make sure the players and staff have travel insurance, even if the team is going for only one game.

I have attached some forms that should be filled by each player and staff member.  The following points need to be emphasized:

Have each player and staff member fill out the sheet;

Have the medical sheets in a file folder.  They should be treated confidentially and only the manager or dedicated medical person should have access to that information;

Always have travel insurance for away games, especially if they are out of the country;

Be aware of any serious medical conditions that your player may have so that response time can be mitigated if the emergency action plan needs to be activated;

Identify before the game which parent or team official will transport the injured individual if an ambulance is not available or needed;

Always ensure that any injured athlete is NOT allowed to continue to play regardless of the importance of the game.

Click here for Emergency Action Plan

Click here for Emergency Team Contact Information

If you missed Marc' article last month on the importance of Warming Up click here.