Safety

The Penn State scandal didn’t occur in youth sports.  Yet, it is one of the rare occasions that sex abuse by coaches, which is a major problem in youth sports, got the type of national publicity that allowed the problem to penetrate the public consciousness.  The big question is whether we as a sports society are up to the task of doing to more to prevent future abuse.

 

As any parent of a competitive age-group swimmer knows, an indoor pool tends to be a very hot and humid place even at the best of times. Pack in all the competitors and spectators at a day-long meet and the temperatures soar, with athletes in or around the pool losing fluids at a high rate.  Practices for competitive swimmers also tend to last a long time, during which athletes not only burn a lot of calories but lose a lot of water and electrolytes.

Reliable statistics on the incidence of sexual abuse by coaches in youth sports are hard to come by, but the how and why of sexual abuse by coaches are well-known.  A leading sports and child psychiatrist offers prevention tips for parents and athletes.

A new study of college swimmers highlights the importance for high school swimmers of properly preparing for the transition into collegiate swimming through strength training and gradual increases in yardage.

Each year, almost 150,000 swimming-related injuries are treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and hospital emergency rooms. Here are some tips on preventing swimming injuries.

Swimming pools should always be happy places. Unfortunately, each year thousands of American families confront swimming pool tragedies - drownings and near-drownings of young children. These tragedies are preventable. This U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) handbook offers guidelines for pool barriers that can help prevent most submersion incidents involving young children.

Pool and spa drains pose a serious risk of body entrapment and hair
entanglement, particularly to children, but are preventable hazards if
safety precautions, including the use of special drain covers, safety
vacuum-release systems (SVRSs), and other pressure-venting
fitler-construction techniques are used, say the Consumer Product Safety
Commission and The American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Among unintentional injuries, drowning is the second leading cause of death to this age group after motor vehicle accidents. In some Sunbelt states such as California, Florida and Arizona, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death to children under five.