February 16, 2017
Jared Ginter
Director of Athletic Facilities
Trinity Western University
We now have risk management Best Practices data for over 100 schools across N. America.
In each Newsletter we’ll report a selection of our more interesting findings.
This issue: Concussions
In the Best Practices surveys, we asked if concussion protocols were in place for Intramurals and Sport Clubs Participating universities told us: Read more
February 16, 2017
Lexi Chaput
Assistant Director – Club Sports
University of Michigan
Within every Campus Recreation department, different types of risks are managed differently based on the resources dedicated to the program, but with more and more discussion taking place about head injuries in sports participation, resource limitations are no longer a valid reason for a department saying they ‘can’t’ when it comes to response and management. Regardless of your size, structure, or resources, education is always a viable option, and can be a valid response when Risk Management calls and wants to know what you are doing to keep participants safe.
A Future of Uncertainty for Club Sports
For those whose Club Sports are insured by the University, it’s important to know that the future of that coverage has the potential to change dramatically, and could result in higher costs or added requirements. In a recent conversation with our Risk Management Office, they are anticipating changes to our liability coverage. While our insurance providers have so far not mentioned “no coverage” for head injuries sustained during activity, limitations on coverage could be implemented, especially surrounding timelines – specifically around when the injury was reported, and if the injury was the first of its kind sustained. Read more
February 16, 2017
Robin Bowman, M.Ed., ATC
Assistant Director for Injury Prevention & Care
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Concussions have been a hot topic in sports and recreation for the past few years. It seems like every week there is new research coming out that helps us better understand this injury. While it’s great that the medical community is making strides in understanding the mechanisms by which symptoms of concussions happen and recover, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest advances.
Between the difficulty in keeping up with the best practices in recognition, treatment, and return to activity following concussions and the increase in class action lawsuits against sporting organizations who are perceived as not doing enough to protect athletes from the long-lasting effects of mild traumatic brain injury, recreation professionals can feel overwhelmed.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your department had someone on staff that had extensive training in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of concussions and other injuries? An athletic trainer may be just what your department needs. Athletic trainers are skilled in the prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Read more
December 08, 2016
Or an opportunity for significant improvements in safety?
Ian McGregor, Ph.D.
President, SportRisk
Is the writing on the wall for Sport Club programs as we know them? The issue that has the potential to severely impact higher risk Sport Clubs is concussions. It’s hard to ignore recent news reports about concussions – particularly in the NFL, and more recently in the NCAA (check out class action lawsuit report: http://ow.ly/qgQa306BuUu
In Canada, the Federal Government has announced significant funding to develop ‘national concussion management guidelines’: http://ow.ly/hI5x306Dq4t, with the injury-prevention charity Parachute (www.parachutecanada.org) tasked with ‘leading the development of harmonized concussion protocols through an advisory committee that includes doctors, teachers and coaches from across the country’.
In addition, with more and more concussions being reported, and the number of concussion-related lawsuits increasing dramatically, the Insurance industry has taken notice. A major insurer in the North American market has recently made a decision to exclude coverage of all traumatic brain injuries (this would include concussions) for all colleges, universities, educational institutions, municipalities and school districts. This new directive would be implemented on the policy renewal date. A wake up call indeed!
So it’s not a big stretch to realize that this issue is going to trickle down to Campus Recreation – sooner as opposed to later. Read more
October 18, 2015
Lexi Chaput
Assistant Director – Club Sports
University of Michigan
As a Club Sports program shapes policies and procedures, the role of coaches in the program is often one that comes with a great deal of concerns and question marks.
Will the University recognize them in any capacity, and are they covered under the University’s liability insurance? Do we want to associate the University and our department with someone who has such a loose affiliation? What are we going to require of the coach to make sure our students are safe? What are we going to require of the coach to keep ourselves covered? Who is going to “supervise” the coach?
Many departments tend to think of Club Sports coaches as a source of risk, or a liability for the department and their program. But handled correctly, the relationship with a non-University employed coach can be a great asset to the program and to the teams with which they work. Read more
September 15, 2014
Ann Wittkopp
Head Athletic Trainer
Central Washington University-Recreation
This article is the first in an ongoing series about concussions and other relevant sports medicine topics in collegiate recreation.
Concussions have frequented the news in the last several years. The NFL and ESPN have made sure that anyone who watches professional football is well aware of the word” concussion.” But how much do we really know about concussions? What constitutes a concussion? What does the peer-reviewed literature say about concussions? Until recently, concussions were only referred to as ‘mild head injuries’; due to misconception of the severity of the injury, they are now referred to as ‘mild traumatic brain injuries.’
As an athletic trainer working in collegiate recreation, I have seen more than my fair share of concussions with varying degrees of symptoms and duration; what always concerns me, however, is the complete lack of concern (and sometimes disregard) most patients have for the injury itself and what it means for his/her health, and potential future. Read more