3 Questions To Ask To Help Keep Athletes Safe

Keeping student-athletes safe is not solely the job of the athletic trainer and/or the coach. It is a collaborative effort of the athletic trainer, coach and his/her staff, athletic administrations, referees, parents and spectators.

Maintaining a vigilant eye on any early warning signs can be the difference between being ahead of the curve and playing catch up. Local12.com spoke with Mike Gordon, the president of the Greater Cincinnati Athletic Trainers Association, on three simple questions to bear in mind when taking in an athletic event from any perspective.

safeThe conversation sparked following a high school student-athlete in the Cincinnati area who collapsed and died during a soccer conditioning session last week. This comes nearly a year after another student-athlete from a different area high school collapsed and died during a soccer conditioning session, according to Local12.com.

Below is an excerpt from that conversation with Local12.com.

1. Where is the closest automated external defibrillator?

“The AED is going to restart the heart,” Gordon said.

Medical experts say one should be on-site and easily accessible.

2. Is there an athletic trainer on site?

“And if there isn’t, why isn’t one?” Gordon said.

3. What is your plan if an emergency happens?

“What plan do you have in place?” Gordon said. “Do you just all look at each other and hope somebody calls 911? Or is that coach calling 911 and that coach is going to meet the ambulance?”

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“Sometimes, it’s just not enough,” Gordon said, looking at his own son. “And I think it hits me harder now that I’m a father, but I can’t imagine the pain that a family would go through in that situation.”

To read the full article from Local12.com on three questions to help keep athletes safe, click here