United States Sports Academy
America's Sports University®

The Sport Digest - ISSN: 1558-6448

volume 18 number 1

Book Review: Successful Sport Management

Appenzeller, H. & Appenzeller, T. (2008). Successful Sport Management. Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press

Academy to Provide Support to National Cheer Safety Foundation

Reports that 65.2 percent of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes occur in high school cheerleading have led to efforts from the United States Sports Academy and the National Cheer Safety Foundation (NCSF) to educate cheer coaches.

“Cheer safety education based on sports sciences is crucial in reducing catastrophic and over-use injuries in cheerleading,” said NCSF President and CEO Kimberly Archie. “Those involved need to insist that coaches are educated and trained to properly care for young athletes.”

Cheerleading Injuries and Safety

The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) initiated a catastrophic injury (fatalities, disabilities, serious injuries) data collection system for high school and collegiate sports on a national level during the 1982–1983 school year.1 Cheerleading was not initially included until 2 collegiate cheerleaders suffered serious head injuries during the first year of data collection. Since that time, collegiate cheerleading has been associated with 31 catastrophic injuries and high school cheerleading with 73. Collegiate cheerleading accounted for 70.5% of all female catastrophic sports injuries and high school cheerleading for 65.2% of all high school female catastrophic sports injuries. Without a doubt, cheerleading is the most dangerous female sport when we look at the number of catastrophic injuries.

The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research

Due to the success of football injury research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) was initiated during the 1982-83 school year. As a result of the football research important contributions to the game have been made and include the 1976 rule changes, the football helmet standard, improved medical care for the participants, and better coaching techniques.

Exercising to Exhaustion in Heated Ozone is a Formula For the Death of an Athlete

"Body Organs Bake & Athletes Die"

A Louisville high school football Athlete collapsed during practice on August 20, 2008. He died 3 days later in the hospital. In the Emergency Department his body temperature was 107* after IV fluids and traveling 40 minutes in an air-conditioned ambulance. Obviously, his core body temperature exceeded 107* when he collapsed on the practice field. 109* is fatal absent proper cooling. A kiddy iced pool appears the appropriate, rapid cooling method.

Sport Emergency Action Plan: A Coach’s Duty

It is a coach’s legal and moral responsibility to plan in advance for catastrophic emergencies. A rehearsed catastrophic emergency plan is a crucial part of managing risk in sport. After the review of more than 200 catastrophic cheer injury reports between 1982 and 2009, one pattern stood out like a sore thumb: Cheer programs lacked a rehearsed catastrophic emergency plan. A review of other youth sports revealed a similar pattern.

Catastrophic Cheerleading Injuries Prompts USSA & NCSF Into Action

Reports that 65.2 percent of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes occur in high school cheerleading have led to efforts from the United States Sports Academy and the National Cheer Safety Foundation (NCSF) to educate cheer coaches.

Sport Education is the Key to Managing Catastrophic Sports Injuries

Introduction

Physical activity and sport by their very nature include inherent risks leading to injuries for many individuals who participate (1).

Most sports injuries encountered by young athletes are minor in nature, but when an injury is extensive enough to be categorized as catastrophic it can be devastating to those involved.

NFL Issues Stricter Guidelines for Returning to Play Following Concussion

The treatment of football players with concussions has put the NFL in the spotlight in recent months, including two congressional hearings with testimony by former players and coaches, and the launch of an NFL public service campaign on the subject.

Monitoring an Athlete after a Concussion

Introduction

The correct recognition and management of an athlete with a concussion are critical to the recovery of the athlete. Incorrectly treated, an athlete may continue to suffer from the symptoms of concussion long after the original injury.