Newsletter Articles
April 07, 2011
Jeff Elbracht
University Recreation Associate Director
Washington State University
The risks involved in using 15-passenger vans has become prevalent in the news over the past few years. From frequent newspaper articles to a full feature in 2002 on ‘60 Minutes’, the hazards of 15-passenger van travel have become well documented. In October 2005, 15-passenger van use once again came to the forefront: nine of eleven students were killed when a van driven by a Utah State University professor blew a tire while traveling at an estimated 95-100 miles per hour on the highway (Salt Lake Tribune, October 2005). What was once viewed as an essential and affordable means of transportation for universities, schools, churches, and YMCA’s is now viewed as a high-risk activity that can often result in rollovers, accidents, and even death.
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April 07, 2011
Ryan Lahne
Assistant Director, Facilities and Operations
Washington State University
Editors Note: Not all new ideas are necessarily better ideas. Some student training strategies are timeless — they’ve worked in the past, and they’ll work in the future. The following article describes some ‘tried and tested’ training strategies that have withstood the test of time, and continue to be highly effective training tools.
Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes in the recreation world. For injuries as minor as a cut to cardiac arrest, most college recreation facilities rely on 18-22 year old student staff members as the primary responders for most situations. In addition to handling injuries and medical emergencies, student staff are frequently relied upon to evacuate facilities during fires, determining if a softball game should be called due to lightning, or just dealing with uncertainty that goes with a power outage. Regardless of the type of emergency, training and practice are the most important keys to make sure these young staff members are prepared for all situations. The following describes three simple, inexpensive and proven techniques to better train and prepare staff.
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April 07, 2011
Ian McGregor, Ph.D.
President, McGregor & Associates
Hazing/ initiation continues to be a serious problem on many campuses – despite numerous high profile incidents
reported recently. NIRSA recently collaborated on a special project taking place at the University of Maine.
Coordinated by the National Research Institute for College Recreational Sports & Wellness, the study involved 1,789
students answering a 70-question web-based survey. Some of the preliminary findings of Phase I of the study may
(or may not) surprise you:
– 1 in 20 students indicated they had been hazed at their current institution
– hazing was reported across many types of teams and student organizations
– 60% of varsity athletes indicated they engaged in hazing behavior
– students indicated that coaches and advisors are aware of hazing activity.
Perhaps the most significant implication for Sport Clubs was the finding that 22% of
respondents indicated that their coach or advisor actually took part in the hazing ritual.
To learn more about the study, go to the NIRSA website or see www.hazingstudy.com
April 07, 2011
Ian McGregor, Ph.D.
President, McGregor & Associates
Training employees in various safety protocols is a critical part of any department’s risk management plan. The challenges are numerous:
- Significant number of part-time student employees
- High turnover of employees
- Significant number of training protocols to cover
- Consistency of training between program units
Some departments adopt a ‘centralized’ approach to safety training i.e. all ‘essential’ training is coordinated centrally, usually through one person or a training committee (with individual program units responsible for any training specific to their program e.g. aquatics ‘in-service’ training). Other departments require each functional unit to be responsible for their own training (which potentially results in inconsistencies within the department unless someone is monitoring or tracking overall training efforts).
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April 07, 2011
Ian McGregor, Ph.D.
President, McGregor & Associates
Insufficient supervision and lack of appropriate instruction in sport and recreation are the most frequent types of negligence seen in the courts. Hence it is critical that effective supervision and instructional policies are developed which clearly spell out the requirements and expectations in these two areas.
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April 06, 2011
Ian McGregor, Ph.D.
McGregor & Associates
Here’s a typical situation I’ve run into on many campuses I’ve visited:
- Women’s Rugby is a Varsity Sport
- Men’s Rugby is a Club Sport
(or vice versa, or instead of rugby substitute any ‘high-risk’ sport)
In the above example, the women’s rugby (varsity) team has access to Athletic Trainers (and other medical services), while men’s rugby does not — or has to pay for a Trainer from Club funds — which they likely have to raise themselves.
The point is that Varsity Teams have access to Trainers, while Sport Clubs do not — irrespective of how ‘high-risk’ these Clubs are. Make sense? During my consulting trips to (many) campuses, I invariably recommend that Athletic Trainer services be provided based on the risk profile of the sport, and not on the sport’s status (i.e. whether it is varsity or not).
Experience tells me that the above scenario is the norm on most campuses across North America. However if your department funds Athletic Therapists for Sport Clubs or has a different model or if you have an opinion on all of this — please let us know! Submit an article to the Newsletter!