First aid at high school sporting events?

[Tickla]

Aren't high school teams (football in this case) supposed to have first aid supplies available at games no matter what? The reason I asked is because my DS sophomore got his knee bashed in from the side a few nights ago, couldn't even walk, had to be carried off the field by the refs, who then sat him on the bench, put a football under his injured knee & he SAT THERE for 45 minutes without anyone coming over to help him or see if he was okay. The coach apparently whipped out his cell phone & called someone to bring ice, which took 45 minutes to get there, and to top it all off, a player on the opposing team got an ankle injury about 10 minutes before the ice got there, and when the ice was being brought over to my son, my sons coach hollered, "hey, go help the other player first". WTH??????? My sons knee looked like a basketball from the knee up by the time the ice was put on his knee. The Dr. said it was not good at all for him to sit there for 45 minutes without ice. He has major swelling from his knee up his thigh- I can't believe this happened. Even my 11 year old's youth football organization will not start a game until there is an EMT present, but to not even have ice at a football game? Anyone else ever had to deal with something like this? I believe the Dr. when he said his injury is probably worse because of the lack of attention he received...I am so furious!! Sorry, just had to get it out.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Wow, I am so sorry about your ds. I just asked my ds who is a jv and now varsity basketball coach. He is only 21 but he only does this while attending college, he is not full time with the school and he says that there should be an instant ice pack right in the first aid box which should be right near the players at a minimum. Also my ds is trained in cpr, aed and first aid which is mandatory here anyway. I hope your ds heals quicly and I would definetely ask what the injury policy is etc.

 

[golfgal]

WOW!!! All of our high school events are staffed with an athletic trainer-practice and games. For football games they have to have an ambulance crew on hand. Heck, we even have medical personal and an ambulance at our MARCHING BAND competitions. I would be more then angry if I were you. I would also get your son into an orthopedic dr tomorrow.

 

[jlima]

I grew up in Louisiana; and I believe it is a state law that an ambulance has to be at a high school football game. I was in my high school band and went to EVERY football game for five years and I don't remember a game without an ambulance. It is a lifesaver when this happens:

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20061007/NEWS/610070310

As for basic first aid, it's hard to believe your son's coaching staff had NOTHING to help him. Talk to the principal or if you need to, your local school district. There must be a state high school athletic association with some kind of guidelines; look on line and do some research. If it was my kid, I would!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I can't believe they don't at least have a basic first aid kit on the sidelines with those instant ice packs. Even my 11 year old son's soccer coach is required to have a first aid kit at all practices and games. He has a soft-sided cooler that he carries with first aid supplies including gloves (in case someone is bleeding), gauze pads, bandaids, saline, etc. At our first game, a player from the other team discolcated his shoulder. Our coach immediately ran for the first aid kit and pulled out the instant ice pack.

I would think any coach should be required to at least carry that much!

 

[Buckalew11]

Sorry about your son's knee. I'd get it checked ASAP.

My dd is actually a HS student athletic trainer. The school does not have a full-time AT but does have one through the hospital here. Every HS in our county has an AT and an Orthopedic dr. on hand at every football game. Plus student trainers. My DH is a paramedic and also attends one team's games all season. I think every team should have at least an AT there. I would see what I could get started if I were you.

Ours work all throughout the game/practices etc. It is so dangerous w/o one.

 

[shortbun]

What your son went through is absurd. You should contact the Athletic Director of your school system or the principal of the school and ask for an explanation. At our HS football games, there is an ambulance with EMT staff parked in the parking lot and the EMT's watch the game for free. All the coaches are required to have a certification in CPR
and 2 classes in sports medicine; there is a trainer with ice and all the other necessities for minor injuries. Even the band and cheer groups are watched for injuires. Why your son sat there for 45 minutes is on explainable by the word neglect.

 

[minniecarousel]

What your son went through is absurd. You should contact the Athletic Director of your school system or the principal of the school and ask for an explanation. At our HS football games, there is an ambulance with EMT staff parked in the parking lot and the EMT's watch the game for free. All the coaches are required to have a certification in CPR
and 2 classes in sports medicine; there is a trainer with ice and all the other necessities for minor injuries. Even the band and cheer groups are watched for injuires. Why your son sat there for 45 minutes is on explainable by the word neglect.

yeah - what she said!

There is no excuse for NOT having a trainer and/or an EMT available during a game. Around here, there are classes in Athletic Training and those students even attend practices. A HS football game can't even start without an ambulance on site.

 

[GeorgeG]

Every game (not practice) I can recall since I was in high school always had an ambulance and EMT/Paramedic standing by. That's going back almost five decades!

 

[M5ward]

My sons played football from the junior (little kids) level through college (and even beyond.) There was always an EMT-staffed ambulance present at games in addition to a trainer at the high school and college level. Your son's coach should be called on the carpet for allowing any injured player to sit unattended for any length of time. I would absolutely contact the Athletic Director. I hope your son heals quickly.

 

[agnes!]

You need to look up what the rules & regulations are about High School sporting events for your conference, division, county, state, etc. If the school or its representatives have willfully ignored a safety rule they and the coach could probably be in some serious trouble.

Start with the applicable rules, be armed with that and any records so far that you might have from this injury when you make your appointment with the Athletic Director for you jurisdiction. Oh, and nothing personal, but your DH should be present with you at all appointments with administrators. You'll be taken more seriously if Dad is along.

What bother me is not so much your DS' injury (I know it's not a lot of fun and he's in pain) & the delayed medical attention (an ICE-PACK, is it so hard for the staff to have an ICE pack available?!?) - your DS probably won't suffer from long-term consequences,
*but*
what if a player had a compound fracture or even a heart emergency on the field... there have GOT to be some clear medical guidelines or regulations that the coach and other staff are ignoring.

agnes!

 

[Tickla]

Thank you everyone for all the responses! I agree there should have been an ICE PACK at least, & I cannot understand why he was left for 45 minutes either. We did take him to the orthopaedic dr the next day (we were told to wait until morning due to the swelling), and he also couldn't believe how swollen it still was! And he said that sitting unattended for 45 minutes could be part of the reason it did swell so much. About talking to the Athletic Director, it was him & another coach of the Varsity team that brought the ice & drove my son back to the locker room, so he was all a part of this already. They have no answers for us--heck even my sons coach hasn't even bothered to find out if he's doing ok---and my youngest son has him for a teacher--he didn't even ask him the next day how his brother was doing!! So far, it seems to be a bruised growth plate, but he still needs an MRI. He is in such pain, can't sleep, can hardly walk even with crutches, I am so angry, especially if he is worse because of the neglect at the game. Thanks for letting me vent & for all the help- we are looking into the state policies & trying to gather as much info as we can to get to the bottom of this.

 

[momof1princess]

how awful! our high school football games always have an ambulance and EMTs on hand. i can't believe they weren't immediately asked to come look at your son's knee. i hope you get some answers from the school district. what happened to your son is totally unacceptable.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Not every city can afford to have an ambulance stationed at the football fields unfortunately. However, there should be a first aid kit on hand. Sometimes there is an athletic trainer there, depending on the size of school. the coaches should be trained in basic first aid and cpr.

 

[agnes!]

I am so evil sometimes...

Maybe you should go up to the coach, bash his knee as hard as your son's was bashed and then make the coach sit around and *wait* while you do your job (well, isn't that what the coach did?) until you *maybe* get him an ice-pack. Oh, and watch it swell up too ::

Metaphorically speaking, of course ...
agnes!

 

[luvthatdisney]

I work at a middle school and we have a ambulance with emt's at every football game. Good thing we do! This past week we had our star player break his leg during the game. Bad break below the knee requiring surgery! The coach yelled for the ambulance before he even made it over to the player, he knew it was bad.

I would call your school system's central office. That is where out Athletic Department is and talk to the person in charge. Lodge your complaint with them, I would not even start with the school. Your ds could have some lingering problems as a result of not getting treatment ASAP. I am sure there are some regulations in place for high school football games. It may depend on the size of the school system and what they can afford that dictates the medical presence at high school football games.

Yes, sad to say it may come down to $. It does cost to have the ambulance at the games. At least it does at ours. Every parent of a child playing at that game should be complaining about the lack of trained medical personnel during game play. All of the kids were at risk. Football is a very dangerous sport and all precautions should be in place.

 

[Tickla]

agnes!.........evil minds think alike!! You read mine!