Skip to Main Content

Athletic Training: For Coaches

Reminders and Planning

  1. Make sure ALL of your participants have submitted fully completed Medical History and updated Physicals Forms, as well as fully completed Athletic Permit.
  2. Keep Kit, Cooler, Ice/bags available at ALL practices and competitions (Gatorade is still available). Ice is usually available in the Ice Machine on the Davis Gym side of the cafeteria. Have Kits restocked on Non Games Days.
  3. Keep completed Emergency Cards and highlighted Medical Maladies List with you ALWAYS. We have more than 125 MD referrals each year, several go by ambulance!
  4. Know our Emergency Plan, you are part of it! When visiting another school, ask about THEIR Emergency Plan. Do you ALWAYS have access to a cell phone? (weekends?)
  5. AT staff must be directly notified, face to face, by you or your injured athlete when there is an injury or a visit to a healthcare provider. If an athlete is hurt badly enough to require treatment, send the athlete to AT room so we can check him/her. Coach modified athletes who do not FULLY recover within one week MUST be seen in our athletic training room. Kids will not play with unevaluated injuries. We will REST injured athletes we find out about indirectly (newspaper, teacher, nurse). DO NOT send a “representative” to get ice, tape, gauze, etc. We have many teens trying to tell us how to treat them and it’s annoying.
  6. Performance Enhancing Substances (from caffeine to steroids) are a BIG issue. Look for guidelines and/or RULES from National Federation/ NHIAA.
  7. CALL Sean or Seth (or Athletic Director) AT HOME IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUSLY INJURED ATHLETE (required immediate medical care, MD/hospital, while under your supervision.)
  8. Communication between us is critical. Ask questions and stop in to the training room when needed.
  9. Coaches must make sure that players properly use protective equipment. All pads and safety devices required by your sport must be used during competition and practice (including mouthguards!). No player should be allowed to participate, even for only one play, without properly functioning safety equipment.
  10. Coaches should periodically inspect the playing area and player equipment for safety hazards. Broken or unsafe equipment must be repaired or discarded immediately. If special tools are need to repair equipment on a continual basis (ie. football pads and helmets), the coach is responsible for making sure such equipment is present at all practices and games. Report hazards at your facility/grounds to the athletic director immediately.
  11. ​Please keep in mind that it is beyond the scope of the Athletic Trainer position to have an Athletic Trainer physically present at every practice and game, although it would be the ideal. Also, please note that a substitute athletic trainer is rarely available in the event of illness, personal absence, emergencies, or school-related conflicts. Therefore, the coach must be prepared to handle any injuries that may occur during practice or games. Coaches are required to maintain first aid and CPR certifications by the NHIAA. In order to protect both the coach and the school from possible legal action, the following policies and procedures regarding athletic injury care are established:

A. The athletic trainer, to the extent possible, will be available "on site" as follows:

  • All regularly scheduled home games and home playoff games.
  • Away games for varsity football, and all playoff games as available.
  • All after school practices (up to 5:30 pm)
  • The athletic trainer may be available for special events, tournaments, etc. on weekends and/or holidays, by special request of the athletic director, or by private contract.

B. When present, the Athletic Trainer will provide for the initial assessment, first aid, decisions regarding return to play, and parent contact if needed, for all athletic injuries. In the absence of an Athletic Trainer, these become the responsibility of the coach. All such injuries should be reported to the Athletic Trainer as soon as practical.

C. When the Athletic Trainer is not on site, coaches should follow the emergency plan provided within the Coaches Handbook. Contact the Athletic Trainer as soon as possible (at home or school) for all injuries requiring emergency care.

D. Any athlete that sees a healthcare provider for an injury or illness must provide written permission from the healthcare provider to returning to any participation. A coach must not allow an athlete to participate unless he/she is positive that written permission from a healthcare provider has been granted. This is school board and NHIAA policy and is one of the most common causes of legal action.

These guidelines are established to provide quality care to our athletes and to protect you from costly legal situations. Should you have any questions regarding the Athletic Training program, please feel free to see me.