Protecting Athletes from Heat Illness Rests on the Shoulders of the Coaches and Medical Team

Posted by Terry Zeigler Sep 25, 2009

Death from heat illness is completely preventable. An athlete dies from heat illness only if the current published guidelines to protect athletes from exertional heat illness have not been followed.

The problem is in getting the information on the recognition and prevention of heat illness into the hands of coaches (especially coaches working with youth sports). Athletes at the collegiate and professional levels are surrounded by sports medicine professionals who know and understand how to prevent heat illness in their athletes. It is their job to monitor their athletes and ensure that coaches follow established guidelines.

The difficulty is getting education and training at the high school, junior high, and youth sports levels. Because there are fewer sports medicine professionals working with these athletes (mostly budgetary reasons), the responsibility for protecting athletes falls onto the shoulders of the athletic administrators, and head and assistant coaches.

Many of the coaches at the high school and junior high level are walk-on or part-time coaches. Their salary stipends are minimal and most are hired because of their experience/expertise with a sport. These factors make mandatory training difficult at this level.

However, coaches are required to have training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It might be wise to include a mandatory training session on recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat illness and reviewing specific guidelines on how to adjust specific practice factors to protect their athletes.

Parents can also help protect their children by learning the same guidelines and confronting coaching and/or administration when they are not being followed. Watching in silence is not an option if a coach has crossed the line and athletes are in jeopardy.