Health & Safety

In May 2009, Washington State enacted the Zackery Lystedt Law, becoming the first state in the nation to enact a comprehensive youth sports concussion safety law. Forty-two states have since followed Washington's lead in passing strong concussion safety laws.

The concussion identification, management and return-to-play policy statement of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is among the strictest in the country, requiring a 12-day minimum return-to-play waiting period for any athlete suspected of having suffered a concussion.

A panel of renowned medical experts in the field of sports related concussion both praised and criticized the recent concussion policy introduced by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) at a sports concussion summit.

In addition to the twenty-five states that have passed youth sports concussion safety laws, new concussion safety rules have been enacted both by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) and by individual state high school athletic associations in a number of states, including California, Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey and Tennessee.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is implementing a new concussion rule for the 2010-11 academic year which not only requires immediate removal of any athlete suspected of having suffered a concussion but bans his return until cleared to play by an appropriate health-care professional. This rule also covers youth leagues that play under high school rules or modified high school rules, but does not apply in those states where even stricter concussion laws have been recently passed.

MRSA skin infections are hard to spot, often misdiagnosed as heat rash, razor burn, spider bites, ingrown hair or pimples.  Don't think MRSA skin infections are serious? Ask former wrestler, Chris Bettinski, who almost lost his leg - and his life- to MRSA.

 

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Of the estimated 715,000 high school sports-related injuries which are sustained by youth athletes each year, many, such as sprains, strains, fractures and concussions, are hard to prevent.  Some sports injuries, however, including bacterial skin infections like Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA), impetigo and folliculitis, are preventable if athletes, coaches, and parents take certain precautions, including hand washing with antibacterial gel or wipes containing CHG.

With spring sports beginning for over 40 million young athletes,  the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) has ten tips for parents, coaches, and administrators to help prevent injuries and ensure a safe and successful season.

The loss of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium through sweat can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and even death.  Electrolytes are minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride) which send messages to nerves and muscles throughout the body,  and are involved with muscle contraction and relaxation during exercise, so that an imbalance can impact the actual contraction of the muscle itself.