Smith College Athletic Training Services

Introduction

Staff

Deb Coutu, MS, LATC

Kelli Steele, MS, LATC

Aisha Visram, CAT(C), LATC

Hours

Usually… Mon – Fri 10-7 (Closed 1-2) (School Days) 10-1, 2-3:30 = Admin, mtgs, rehab, evals

3:30-7 = Practice, event prep and coverage

Sometimes… 1 hr before earliest practice (Non-School Days) until 30 min after last practice

Week-end or Holiday Contest…1 hr before start of warm-up or team mtg* depending on needs of athletes

Evaluation, Treatment & Rehab

• By appointment whenever possible

• Allows us to give you the most time and attention

• Helps to avoid you showing up when we’re in a meeting

• During pre-practice times, you may be asked to return later or schedule an appointment for the next day

• Call, visit or email to schedule an appointment

• During closed hours, schedule will be outside door

LocationsScott Gym AT Room

• Basement of Scott Gym • Any and all services here

Field House AT Room• Storage, filling water & ice• Absolutely no services (unless we notify you)

Leave your stuff outside and Sign-In!!(Please)

Reporting Injuries• It is YOUR responsibility to report ALL injuries and illnesses to our staff

• Restricted by us = Must be cleared by us

• Coaches get daily report/injury update

Clearance After Injury/Illness

If you see a health care practitioner on or off-campusyou must provide written documentation of clearance to return to sport.

• Doctor• Physician’s Assistant• Emergency room• Specialist• Nurse Practitioner• Nurse

Insurance• Each athlete must have primary insurance coverage.

• Smith College • Family's insurance• Personal policy

• All medical bills related to athletic injury go to athlete’s primary insurance FIRST

• Expenses denied or not fully covered by primary insurance can bebilled to our Sports Accident Insurance Policy

Sports Accident Insurance Policy

• If you suffer an injury while participating in a regularly scheduled, supervised activity

• “Excess" policy providing coverage of the remaining balance of expenses not covered by the athlete's primary insurance

• $500 deductible

• Maximum $90,000

Sports Accident Insurance Policy

• THIS CAN BE QUITE CONFUSING…WE ARE HERE TO HELP!!

NCAA Lifetime Catastrophic Athletic Injury Policy

• Covers lifetime rehabilitation, medical and dental expenses

• $90,000 Deductible• $20 million lifetime benefit

• Insurance Claims:• Claim form must be filed within 90 days of the injury • Available online or in the athletic training room• We will assist you in completing the form• Completing and filing of claim forms is your responsibility

Health Services• All students have access to Health Services at no charge regardless of the type of insurance

• If tests or lab work are needed, they will bill your insurance company

• Open 8AM to 8PM Monday to Friday

• Visits are by appointment only

• When closed: a nurse is available by phone: 585-1260                • A counselor is also available by phone:  585-2840            

*except: Spring break; Winter break; Summers

Counseling Services• Available to all students

• Number of visits determined by type of insurance

• By appointment only

• Available for phone consultation after hours

TravelTreatment: Van trips = treated at Smith

Bus trips = treated at away site

Exception = week-ends and holidays when weare not open

Don’t forget to say “please” and “thank you”

Injuries @ away sites: Host athletic trainer is responsible for evaluation, care and return to play decisions

Check in with us ASAP upon your return or earlythe next day

Travel

Kit: We provide kit with all needed suppliesTake it with you to ATDon’t expect them to use their supplies for you

Communication: We let the host staff know who will need what, so they expect you

Bring: Water bottle, medications, inhalers, etc.

Hygiene

Q: Why do we have to talk about this?

A: Athletes are notorious for having poor hygiene!!

Hygiene

Q: What’s the big deal if you’re a little stinky?

A: It’s WAY more than that!!

Disclaimer: The following slides of skin infections that are COMMON IN ATHLETES are not suitable for the squeamish.

Folliculitis: Infected hair follicle

Tinea Capitus: Ringworm of the scalp

Tinea Corporis: Ringworm

Herpes Simplex

Molluscum Contagiousum

Impetigo

Faruncle: Boil

MRSA

HygieneHands

• Visibly soiled – wash with antibacterial liquid soap

• minimum of 15 seconds• dry completely

• Not visibly soiled – alcohol based hand sanitizer

Body • Shower as soon as possible after practice or competition using antibacterial soap

HygieneEquipment:

• Solid/hard surfaces wiped with disinfectant wipe• Soft (knee pads, knee sleeves, shin guards)laundered after each use

Clothes• Washed and dried after each use

Water Bottle• Washed daily in warm, soapy water or in dishwasher

Hygiene

DO NOT SHARE:

• Practice gear• Clothing• Razors• Deodorant• Towels• Water bottles

HygieneWounds:

• Athletes with open wounds, scrapes or scratches must not use whirlpool

• Report all wounds to AT staff for propercleansing, treatment and dressing

• All wounds should be covered until healed and inspected daily

• Signs of infection: swelling, redness, warmth, pus, fever, odor

HygieneIllness

• If you are sick, protect yourself and your teammates

• If you think you have a fever, get it checked!

• Wash your hands (hand sanitizer) after you blow your nose

HygieneIllness

• Cough and sneeze into your elbow, NOT your hands!

• Don’t share water bottles, etc

• You must be fever-free (without medication) for 24 hours before re-joining your team

Banned SubstancesThe NCAA bans the following classes of drugs:

Stimulants (many ADD and ADHD meds)Anabolic Agents Alcohol and Beta Blockers (banned for rifle only)Diuretics and Other Masking AgentsStreet DrugsPeptide Hormones and AnaloguesAnti-estrogensBeta-2 Agonists (some cardiac meds)

• Athletes who are prescribed banned medications for treatment of an illness can file “exceptions” documents.

Banned Substances• Many substances found in supplements are banned by the NCAA

• Resource Exchange Center on AT Website (link from athletics)

www.drugfreesport.com/rec/

Org Name: NCAA DivIII

Password: ncaa3 Come to us…We will help you!

Lightning• First visible lightning = evacuate to safe shelter

• Flash-to-bang less than 30 seconds = everyone should be indoors

• Stay indoors for 30 minutes AFTER last lightning or thunder

Heat IllnessWhat we do:

• Measure heat and humidity • Adjust practices as needed • Provide water

What you can do:• Wear lightweight, light colored clothing• Drink plenty of fluids (light colored urine)• Report if you are starting to feel ill• Eat foods with high water content (melon, fruits, vegetables,

smoothies, etc)

Exercise (heat) Exhaustion Symptoms:Dehydration Dizziness

Lightheadedness Syncope (fainting)

Headache Nausea

Anorexia (due to lack of hunger) Diarrhea

Decreased urine output Persistent muscle cramps

Pallor (Paleness) Profuse sweating

Chills Cool, clammy skin

Intestinal cramps Weakness

Hyperventilation (fast breathing)

REPORT IT!!

Privacy

• All of your information online is password protected so only our staff has access

• Health Services shares information with us only if iteffects your participation

• We share information with coaches only if it pertains to your participation

• Information about other things will only be shared withyour permission

• We will not share information with your parents or family without your permission

• Coaches will be given Emergency Information Sheets containing:

• Emergency Contacts• Insurance Information• Medications• Medical Conditions

• Emergency information sheets will be kept by coach when you are traveling with your team

Concussions

What is a concussion?A concussion is a brain injury that:

• Is caused by a blow to the head or body.– From contact with another player, hitting a hard surface suchas the ground, ice or floor, or being hit by a piece of equipmentsuch as a bat, lacrosse stick or field hockey ball.

• Can change the way your brain normally works.

• Can range from mild to severe.

• Presents itself differently for each athlete.

• Can occur during practice or competition in ANY sport.

• Can happen even if you do not lose consciousness.

How can I prevent a concussion?

Basic steps you can take to protect yourself from concussion:

• Do not initiate contact with your head or helmet. You can still geta concussion if you are wearing a helmet.

• Avoid striking an opponent in the head. Undercutting, flyingelbows, stepping on a head, checking an unprotected opponent,and sticks to the head all cause concussions.

• Follow your athletics department’s rules for safety and the rules ofthe sport.

• Practice good sportsmanship at all times.

• Practice and perfect the skills of the sport.

What are the symptoms of aconcussion?You can’t see a concussion, but you might notice some of the symptomsright away. Other symptoms can show up hours or days after the injury.Concussion symptoms include:

• Amnesia • Confusion• Headache • Loss of consciousness• Balance problems or dizziness • Double or fuzzy vision• Sensitivity to light or noise • Nausea (feeling that you

might vomit)• Feeling sluggish, foggy or groggy• Feeling unusually irritable.• Concentration or memory problems (forgetting game plays, facts, meeting times)• Slowed reaction time

What are the symptoms of aconcussion?

Exercise or activities that involve a lot of concentration, such asstudying, working on the computer, or playing video games may causeconcussion symptoms (such as headache or tiredness) to reappear orget worse.

What you might notice in a teammate: • Appears dazed or stunned

• Confused about assignment or position

• Forgets plays

• Unsure about game, score or opponent

• Moves clumsily

• Answers questions slowly

• Loses consciousness (even briefly)

• Behavior or personality changes

• Can’t recall events before injury • Can’t recall events after injury

What should I do if I think I have a concussion?

Don’t hide it.

• Tell your athletic trainer and coach.

• Never ignore a blow to the head.

• Also, tell your athletic trainer and coach if one of your teammates might have a concussion.

• Sports have injury timeouts and player substitutions so that you can get checked out.

Report it. • Do not return to participation in a game, practice or other

activity with symptoms.

• The sooner you get checked out, the sooner you may be able to return to play.

Get checked out.

• Your team physician, athletic trainer, or health care professionalcan tell you if you have had a concussion and when you are cleared to return to play.

• A concussion can affect your ability to perform everyday activities, your reaction time, balance, sleep and classroom performance.

Take time to recover.

• If you have had a concussion, your brain needs time to heal.

• While your brain is still healing, you are much more likely to have a repeat concussion.

• In rare cases, repeat concussions can cause permanent brain damage, and even death.

• Severe brain injury can change your whole life.

It’s better to miss one game than the whole season.

When in doubt, get checked out.