Sports questions all parents should ask before the season starts

Baltimore - Sports-injury experts say getting parents involved in advocating for safety is a key factor in preventing and reducing injuries in youth athletics. Below is a compilation of questions parents might raise with school officials and coaches before a season starts. If answers to many of the questions are negative or vague, it might be time to reconsider permission to play, or to raise concerns with a school-board representative or the booster club.

• Does the school's athletic department and its individual teams have a written emergency action plan for sports injuries?
• Is there a certified athletic trainer at the school for all practices and games? If not, who is in charge of caring for your student athlete and what is their level of training? Are coaches and athletic directors trained in first aid, CPR and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs)?
• Is your athlete mentally and physically prepared to play? Have you discussed their commitment to a school sport? Did a doctor familiar with the child's medical history do a sports physical and orthopedic assessment?
• What are the coaches' qualifications and/or certifications? Do they know and use guidelines for practicing or playing in extreme heat or cold? Do they read their athletes' medical forms?
• Do the coaches hold a pre-season meeting with parents to discuss philosophy, rules and safety procedures?
• Does the school offer parents and athletes education on conditioning, strength training, hydration, nutrition and hygiene?
• Does the school perform regular safety checks of playing surfaces, facilities and equipment?
• Is there an athletic training facility equipped to provide on-site medical care and rehabilitation services? Are AEDS readily available within a few minutes of all parts of campus?
• Do teams practice and travel with first-aid kits appropriately stocked and equipped for specific sports?
• How does the school handle rehabilitation and re-conditioning of student athletes? Are services regularly available at school?

Sources: National Athletic Trainers' Association, North American Booster Club Association, Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School-Age Athletes Task Force consensus statement.