NATA

KSI Summer 2018 Conferences

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2018 ACSM National Conference

Yasuki Sekiguchi, MS, CSCS, Associate Director of Athlete Performance and Safety

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting was held in Minneapolis from May 29 – June 2. Most of the KSI staff attended this outstanding conference and they were honored with the opportunities to present their research. We had great discussions with other attendees and received feedback for future work via these presentations.

  • Douglas J. Casa, PhD, ATC, FACSM- Alcohol and hydration
  • Ryan M. Curtis, MS, ATC, CSCS- The effects of sleep duration on sleep quality in elite soccer athletes
  • Courteney L. Benjamin, MS, CSCS- Sleeping patterns of NCAA D1 collegiate athletes: A sex comparison
  • Gabrielle EW. Giersch, MS- Validity and reliability of a short-based integrated GPS sensor
  • Gabe also did an excellent job as a moderator of the hydration thematic poster session with Dr. Cheuvront
  • Rachel K. Katch, MS, ATC- Effects of wrist cooling on balance and cognitive performance in the heat
  • Yasuki Sekiguchi, MS, CSCS- Factors influencing hydration status during a NCAA Division 1 soccer preseason
  • William M. Adams, PhD, ATC- Hormonal, steroidal and inflammatory responses in collegiate male soccer players and female cross-country runners
  • Yuri Hosokawa, PhD, ATC- Comparison of rectal temperature responses during a modified heat tolerance test

Attending this conference allows the KSI staff to obtain further knowledge, skills and new ideas as well as make new relationships with other professionals. This conference certainly helps to develop KSI and execute our goals to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death for the athlete, soldier and laborer. The KSI staff members are thankful to all of the presenters and attendees for their contributions to this field as well as helping make this conference one where individuals who are passionate about similar topics can meet, collaborate, and enjoy one another.

 

 

 

 

2018 NATA Clinical Symposia

Alicia Pike, MS, ATC, Director of Education

View of the Mississippi River near the Convention Center

During the last week of June, a majority of the KSI staff traveled to the “Big Easy” for the 69thannual National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia. New Orleans may have been ready for us, but we sure weren’t ready to face the very hot and humid days. Despite the sweltering weather, this year’s conference was filled with presentations and meetings that not only showcased the numerous projects KSI is actively engaged in, but also served as a platform to continue our mission of optimizing safety and preventing sudden death in sport.

 

The week kicked off with our Medical & Science Advisory Board Meeting at one of Dr. Casa’s favorite restaurants – Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We were very thankful to have so many familiar faces in the room, and even saw a little competitiveness come out in a friendly game of Bubba Gump Trivia. Following dinner and a lot of laughs, Dr. Casa spoke to the Board regarding the recent accomplishments of KSI, especially three primary initiatives that have been the focus over the last couple years: (1) the ‘Raise Your Rank Campaign’, a state-specific approach aimed at improving mandated best practices policies to reduce catastrophic injuries in sport, (2) the Athletic Training Locations and Services (ATLAS) database, which has now officially mapped the extent of athletic trainer services provided to every public and private secondary schoolacross the United States, and (3) the Perceptions of Athletic Training study, which is currently assessing perceptions of the profession from athletic directors, principals, superintendents, legislators, coaches, and parents in order to develop educational strategies to further raise awareness of the value of the athletic training profession.

The remaining days of the conference flew by, as they always do, with various presentations by our staff members. The following presentations showcased the work of KSI at this year’s conference:

  • Rebecca Stearns & Alicia Pike- Legislators Perceptions of the Athletic Training Profession
  • Samantha Scarneo- Implementation of Emergency Action Plan Policies in Secondary School Athletics Without Previous Athletic Training Services
  • Brad Endres- Epidemiology of Sudden Death in Adult Organized Recreational Sport in the United States, 2007-2016
  • Robert Huggins:- Athletic Trainer Services in the Secondary School Setting: The ATLAS Project
  • Rebecca Stearns- Heat Tolerance Test Results from Exertional Heat Stroke Patients Receiving Cold Water Immersion Treatment
  • Sarah Attanasio- Athletic Trainer Education Level and Employment Models: The ATLAS Project

In addition to the presentations, our staff enjoyed manning the KSI booth at the NATA Expo. We love when people stop by; even if it’s to tell us a personal story, talk to us about one of our presentations they attended, or reach out to us as a resource for whatever circumstance they may be encountering in their current clinical position or state. Every year we have more attendees stop by and share with us how they’ve heard about KSI or thank us for the work we do to improve health and safety for student-athletes. It really is the biggest motivation to continue our mission day after day.

The 2018 conference was a unique one for KSI, since we also held two separate events to raise awareness and support initiatives we are currently engaged in. The first was a ‘launch event’ for the Comprehensive Safety Initiative (CSI), a collaborative effort between KSI, University of Connecticut, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Player’s Health, to help secondary school athletic trainers identify areas for improvement related to health and safety best practice adoption. A comprehensive library of resources will be accessible on the Player’s Health platform by the end of 2018. All secondary school athletic trainers are encouraged to complete the Safety Needs Assessment located at: assessment.playershealth.com.

The second event was held for all athletic trainers currently employed at high schools who were recipients of the NFL Athletic Trainer Pilot Grant, an initiative aimed at providing secondary schools with resources to start or enhance their athletic training programs. June 2018 marked the end of year one of the pilot grant program, so we invited the athletic trainers currently employed at these schools to attend the meeting, provide them with more detailed information related to the grant program, but more importantly, debrief about their first year and offer as much support to them as possible. The meeting was a success, and not only gave us the chance to meet the athletic trainers in person, but also served as a platform to receive valuable feedback to improve the program in the next two pilot years.

Now the conference really can’t be all work and no play…when in New Orleans, do as the New Orleaners do! We were very fortunate to have our own personal tour of the city from a KSI benefactor, massive supporter, and close friend of Dr. Casa’s, Scott Chafin. Scott, along with colleagues from his law firm, brought us around NOLA for four hours of unforgettable fun. From the Garden District, to an amazing seafood dinner, followed by authentic Italian dessert, and of course, some trolley karaoke, it was a night we are forever thankful for and will never forget.

 

 

It was a very busy, yet rewarding week, and the perfect opportunity to share the work of KSI with athletic trainers across the country. Perhaps my favorite quote of all time is “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much,” and this year’s conference truly made me realize how muchwe’ve done and how muchwe will continue to do.

 

 

 

 

 

2018 Hydration for Health Conference 

Gabrielle Giersch, MS, Associate Director of Research

 

I had the great opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Hydration for Health Conference in Evian, France. I was able to present research from a study done in collaboration with Dr. Lawrence Armstrong and Dr. Elaine Lee that investigated the role of fluid restriction on perceived sleep duration and quality. This research was presented as a part of the “Pitch Your Science” contest for the Young Researcher Award that consisted of a consolidated 3-minute presentation in a specific session of the conference. This conference is unique in that it unites several disciplines all with specific interest in hydration for health outcomes. This conference provides a great opportunity for a variety of disciplines to discuss with international colleagues on the role of hydration on overall health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 NSCA National Conference

Courteney Benjamin, MS, CSCS, Director of Education & Associate Director of Athlete Performance and Safety

The 2018 NSCA National Conference was held in the beautiful city of Indianapolis, Indiana- home to the NCAA and ACSM headquarters. Members of KSI had the great opportunity to present some of our research during this July conference.

  • Yasuki Sekiguchi- Relationships between resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and sleep characteristics among female collegiate cross-country athletes
  • Ryan Curtis- Sleep Distribution and heart rate-derived autonomic nervous system responses to acute training load changes in collegiate soccer players
  • Courteney Benjamin- Effects of Early Morning Training on Sleep in NCAA Division 1 Female Cross-Country Runners

I was also awarded the opportunity to give a featured presentation titled, “What S&C coaches need to know to prevent sudden death in sports.” During this talk, I reviewed the 2012 best practices document related to collegiate strength and conditioning as well as discussed how this profession can continue to advance by ensuring the safety of athletes.

This talk could not have come at a better time as the NSCA president, Dr. Greg Hoff would announce exciting changes surrounding requirements for obtaining a CSCS certification at the opening ceremonies. According to an article released by the NSCA on July 12th, 2018 the certification process will change as follows.

There will be two principal changes to the certification process:

  1. Effective target date 2030, all CSCS exam candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in a strength and conditioning related field, or be enrolled as a senior in such a program.
  2. Effective target date 2030, candidates will need to obtain those degrees from a college or university that has a program accredited by an NSCA-approved accrediting agency.

This conference was a great opportunity to meet other professionals in this field as well as establish relationships for future collaborations. We look forward to attending this conference again next year!

 

Loudoun County Public Schools Approves EHS Protocol

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Paul A. Peterson MA, LAT, ATC

Athletic Trainer, Woodgrove High School

(May 17, 2018 Virginia)-  We are proud to announce that Loudoun County Public Schools has approved an exertional heat stroke (EHS) protocol that includes the use of rectal thermometry.  We hope this decision will encourage other secondary school districts in the state of Virginia and throughout the United States, who are having difficulties convincing their administrators the vital importance of rectal thermometry, to continue their pursuit.

In the past, our school district administration was adamantly opposed to approving rectal thermometry.  They denied our athletic trainers, on numerous requests, permission to purchase and use rectal thermistors.  Ironically, this past fall, one of our student-athlete cross-country runners suffered EHS during a championship meet.  The athletic trainers and EMS volunteers immediately assessed the student-athlete’s internal body temperature at 107.7°F via rectal thermometry, placed him in an ice water immersion tub and didn’t transport him to the ER until his internal body temperature dropped to 102°F.  Fortunately, the student-athlete was released from the ER later that night with no organ damage and made a full recovery.

By following best practice guidelines in the treatment of EHS, the athletic trainers and EMS volunteers, almost certainly prevented a catastrophic outcome.  This incident, once again, brought the need for our school district administration to approve the use of rectal thermometry in the treatment of EHS to the forefront.  After an eight-month process to help educate the administration on the vital importance of rectal thermometry, we finally received consent and this policy is now officially part of our EHS protocol.

This policy implementation would not have been possible without the support of several individuals. First and foremost, we had the support of our Athletics Supervisor. Second, we received support and the go ahead from our Health Services’ Supervisors and Director.  Third, we received support and further go ahead from our Risk Management Supervisor.  Then finally, we received approval from our School Administration Director to include our EHS protocol in the LCPS policies and procedures section of the student-athlete handbook.

The key to our success was a team effort approach.  With help and support from many individuals most notably, the LCPS athletic trainers, the orthopedic physicians and staff from The National Sports Medicine Institute (NSMI), the researchers at the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI), Dr. Kevin Miller at Central Michigan University, and Darryl Conway at The University of Michigan, we were finally able to convince our administration to allow the medical professionals in the school system to make the medical decisions and act within published best practices.

With patience and perseverance, the LCPS athletic trainers were able to accomplish the goal of getting an appropriate EHS protocol approved to ensure the future health and safety of LCPS student-athletes who may suffer from EHS.

Korey Stringer Institute Announces 2018 Lifesaving Awards

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KSI Perfomance/Safety Logo(May 14th, 2018) — The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) is proud to honor three individuals for theiroutstanding contributions to preventing sudden death in sport through the KSI’s 2018 lifesaving awards.The awards were presented at NFL headquarters in New York City, NY during the KSI’s annualfundraising gala on May 10, 2018.

Located at the University of Connecticut, the Korey Stringer Institute is a national research and advocacy organization dedicated to maximizing performance, optimizing safety, and preventing sudden death among athletes, warfighters, and laborers.

The 2018 award recipients are:

KSI Lifesaving Research Award

This award recognizes exceptional dedication and work in research aimed to advance knowledge regarding the prevention of sudden death in sport.

Scott Anderson, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer University of Oklahoma

The head athletic trainer for the University of Oklahoma since 1996, Scott Anderson is currently president of the College Athletic Trainers’ Society and the Big 12 Conference representative to the NCAA Concussion Safety Committee. He is former co-director of the Summit on Safety in College Football (2014, 2016). His prior service includes

membership on the NCAA Concussion Task Force (2014) and the Inter-Association Task Force on Safety in Football: Off-Season Conditioning (2012). He was co-chair of the National Athletic Trainers’Association Inter-Association Task Force on Sickle Cell Trait in Athletes (2007) and a member of the Inter-Association Task Force on Exertional Heat Illness (2003). He served as chair of the Big 12 Conference Medical Aspects of Sport Committee from 1999 to 2002.

Recognitions: College/University – Athletic Trainer of the Year 2006; All-American Football Foundation, Inc – Outstanding Athletic Trainer 2005; and 2000-01 Big 12 Conference Athletic Training Staff of the Year, and Oklahoma Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame.

KSI Lifesaving Service Award

This award recognizes exceptional service aimed to improve policies and advocate for the adoption of policies in order to reduce sudden death in sport.

Larry Cooper, MS, LAT, ATC

Teacher & Athletic Trainer Penn-Trafford High School

Larry Cooper has been a tireless advocate for secondary school athletic trainers.

He has been involved locally, regionally, and nationally on various committees, projects, and several inter-association task forces. Recently, he served as the NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainers Committee (SSATC) Chair and also the District 2 SSATC Representative. Cooper has been a teacher and certified athletic trainer for 35 years. For the last 27 years, he has served as a sports medicine, health, and physical education instructor at Penn-Trafford High School in Harrison City, Pennsylvania. Cooper has also served as a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. In addition, he has held numerous positions within the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society (PATS) including being a member of the Board of Directors and Secondary School Committee Chair. Cooper is a founding member of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Leagues (WPIAL) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. He continues to work as a master assessor for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (PIAA) Wrestling Weight Loss rule. Cooper has been an active member in the KSI’s ATLAS Projectsince its inception. This collaborative effort between the NATA and KSI has led to new policies and policy changes that have increased secondary school athlete safety across the country.

Cooper was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainer Hall of Fame in 2014. He received the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2014 and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2016. In addition, he received the School Health/ Training and Conditioning Magazine Most Valuable Athletic Trainer Award in 2015; The Micro Bio-Medics Scholastic Athletic Trainer Award in 2003; the PATS Service Award in 2005; and the PATS Distinguished Merit Award in 2011.

His favorite role has been that as loving husband to Lisa and father to their three daughters, Sara, Molly, and Delaney.

KSI Lifesaving Education Award

This award recognizes exceptional work to advance knowledge and education in the realm of preventing sudden death in sport.

Cindy Chang, MD

Professor, Primary Care Sports Medicine University of California San Francisco

Dr. Cindy Chang is a primary care sports medicine physician specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries and illnesses related to exercise and sports participation in children and adults.

She serves as chair of the California Interscholastic Federation’s SportsMedicine Advisory Committee, and also served on the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). She is a board member of Racing Hearts, a non-profit organization that increases awareness of and improves access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in communities. After co-founding the California Concussion Coalition, Dr. Chang is now co-chair of the Sports Concussion Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. She was an elected four-year member of the Board of Directors for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), one the largest organizations of primary care sports medicine physicians in the world, and later served as its President in 2011-2012. She is also a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is currently an elected member of its Board of Trustees.

Dr. Chang has worked at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and was part of the USA medical team for the Winter Paralympic Games in Nagano, Japan, in 1998 and in Salt Lake City in 2002. She served as Chief Medical Officer for the USA delegation at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

She was the 2003 recipient of the AMSSM Founders Award, given to a sports medicine physician who demonstrates outstanding professional achievement and service to the community. She was also selected to receive the 2013 Dr. Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award, given annually to an individual for his/her contributions to the growth and development of sport medicine through practice and/or scholarly activity. In 2016, Dr. Chang was honored with the National Athletic Trainers’Association Jack Weakley Award of Distinction, for a lifetime of outstanding contributions that directly impact health care in the area of athletics, athletic training, or sports medicine and are of major and lasting importance.

Dr. Chang is currently a Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco in the Departments of Orthopaedics and Family & Community Medicine. She continues at Cal as a team physician and sports medicine consultant, and volunteers as the team physician at Berkeley High School. She is very invested in supporting her athletic trainer colleagues and advocating for their licensure inCalifornia. Chang is medical director of Emergency Education Services at UCSF Benioff Children’sHospital, and has become credentialed to train others including athletic trainers to become certified instructors in First Aid and CPR/AED. She frequently speaks to community groups, schools, club teams, and the media on a wide range of topics affecting the health and safety of our young athletes.

 

ATLAS Update

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Sarah Antasio, ATC

Assistant Director of Research

As of February 21st 2018, the ATLAS project is 100% Mapped. Translation = we have identified every high school with an athletics program in the United States (including the District of Columbia) and whether or not the student-athletes have access to an athletic trainer (AT). We have identified 20,443 high schools, those being public, private, magnet, alternative and special education schools. Within these high schools we have identified a total of , working either full or part time and providing care for the student-athletes during treatments and rehabilitation programs, practices and game competition.

A mission of KSI is to promote the athletic training profession as well as increase the number of ATs and appropriate health care provided to the athletes across all levels of sport. Our ATLAS data has determined that 66% (n = 13,492) of schools with athletic programs have access to an AT in some capacity. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association District 2 (DE, NY, NJ, PA), has the highest percentage of ATs, providing 57% of full-time coverage and 25% part-time.

The ATLAS survey began in June 2015 and we currently have a 49% completion rate. Surveys  have been completed by secondary school athletic trainers throughout the country.

The ATLAS project is a thirteen-person staff, consisting of 1 KSI faculty member, Dr. Robert Huggins, 2 Masters’ students: Brad Andres and Sarah Attanasio as well as ten undergraduate students volunteering their time to KSI and the project.

Click this link for type of AT services by district

NATA Clinical Symposia & Expo

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Alexandra Finn

Assistant Director of Education

Athletic trainers from around the country gathered in Houston, Texas for the 2017 Annual NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo. The four day Clinical Symposia provided athletic trainers with the ability to explore new areas and benefit from the latest research. KSI was well represented by fifteen presenters who continued the mission of educating athletic trainers about our latest research. The warm weather of Texas was a constant reminder of the significance of heat in our southern states, but the strong interest showed by attendees from across the country demonstrated that athletic trainers are gaining an understanding that exertional heat illnesses are an issue of national concern. The selection of so many KSI members provided a unique opportunity for KSI to further its educational mission to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death in sport.

Presentations kicked off early Tuesday morning when Andres Almeraya presented in the Master’s Oral Student Finalist session. His research about “Implementation of Automated Defibrillator Policies in Secondary School Athletics” demonstrated the strong need for additional state legislation to mandate that all secondary schools follow best practices. Andres entered the day as a finalist and was selected overall the best oral presentation in this section. Congratulations and well done, Andres! Dr. William Adams presented his work on the “Implementation of Heat Acclimatization Policies in Secondary School Athletics” during the Treat the Heat Session.

This year four KSI staff members: Luke Belval, Alexandra Finn, Rachel Katch and Brad Endres were selected to present a Free Communication Poster Presentation on Tuesday morning. Luke Belval presented on “Sex-based Comparison of Exertional Heat Stroke Incidence in a Warm-Weather Road Race.” Alexandra Finn presented on the “Implementation of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Policies in Secondary School Athletics.” This research revealed that currently there are only three states that meet all the best practice recommendations in this area. Rachel Katch presented data titled “Cold Water Immersion in the Treatment of Exertional Heat Stroke Remains the Gold Standard at the Falmouth Road Race,” which demonstrated the significance of a road race having immediate cold water immersion available to treat exertional heat stroke. Finally, Brad Endres presented on the “Epidemiology of Sudden Cardiac Death in American Youth Sports.” Congratulations to both Alexandra Finn and Brad Endres who were selected as Master’s Poster Presentation Finalists. Brad’s poster proved to be the judges’ favorite taking home top honors for KSI in this category. Well done Brad and his research team!

Dr. Rebecca Stearns presented research during the session “When Exercise Gets Hot.” Her study focused on “Repeated Exertional Heat Stroke Incidence in a Warm-Weather Road Race.” Following Dr. Stearns presentation, two KSI members; Kelly Coleman and Alicia Pike spoke during the Diversity and Inclusion Considerations in Athletic Training session. Kelly Coleman presented data about the “Perceptions of Race and Ethnic Diversity on Athletic Training Clinical Practice” while Alicia Pike spoke about “Providing Medical Care to Male Sports Teams: Attractors to Employment for Female Athletic Trainers.

To finish the day, Dr. Robert Huggins provided an update on “An Overview of Secondary Schools ATLAS Project: Where Are We Now?” demonstrating the progress in mapping secondary schools across the nation.

The second day started off strong with three KSI members presenting. First, Sarah Attanasio provided insightful information about the ATLAS project. In a well-attended session, Dr. Douglas Casa discussed “Catastrophic Heat and Exertional-Related Condition Among Athletes.” Lastly, Samantha Scarneo presented data about “Implementation of Emergency Action Plan Policies in Secondary School Athletics.” Her study focused on the importance of every high school having an athletic trainer prepare an emergency care plan.

On the final day of presentations KSI members Kelsey Rynkiewicz, Dr. Robert Huggins, Dr. Yuri Hosokawa, Dr. William Adams and Alicia Pike all had an opportunity to present their data. Kelsey Rynkiewicz presented data on the “Implementation of Concussion Policies in Secondary School Athletics.” Dr. Robert Huggins presented on three different topics on Thursday. The first presentation looked at the “Presence of Athletic Trainers, Emergency Action Plans, and Emergency Training at the Time of Sudden Death in Secondary Athletics.” His second presentation provided data to support why all athletic trainers should be staffed and the importance of an athletic trainer in the ability to reduce risk and save lives. His last presentation was titled “State High School Athletic Policy Change Successes and Barriers: Results from Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sports Meeting.” Dr. Yuri Hosokawa presented information on “Optimizing the Direction of Care: A Secondary Insurance Claim Analysis.” Dr. William Adams presented information on the “Current Status of Evidence-Based Best Practice Recommendations in Secondary School Athletics.”  Lastly, Alicia Pike looked at “Examining Sport Safety Policies in Secondary Schools: An Analysis of States’ Progress Toward and Barriers to Policy Implementation.”

It was a privilege for so many KSI members to have the opportunity to provide much needed information about subject matters such as the prevention and care of exertional heat illnesses to athletic trainers who are heading to summer sport training camps or planning for preseason training for fall sports. When not presenting, KSI staff members took advantage of the tremendous opportunity to learn from colleagues from other institutions. The annual conference, which will be moving to New Orleans, LA next year, is well worth the investment to attend!

2017 Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sport

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William M. Adams, PhD, LAT, ATC Vice President of Sport Safety

March 28-29, 2017 Kansas City, MO

The 3rd annual Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sport meeting was held last week in Kansas City, MO that brought over 100 individuals representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia together to continue the task of enhancing the health and safety policies for high school athletics. This meeting, hosted by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and supported by the Korey Stringer Institute and Gatorade, began out of an idea spawned by Drs. Douglas Casa, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, FNAK and Jonathan Drezner, MD to make high school sports safer for the participating athletes.

This years’ meeting was constructed so that the attendees decided on the topics to be discussed. Prior to the meeting, all of the attendees were sent a survey that asked them which topics they would either want to learn more about or have in depth discussions about. From the survey, 16 breakout sessions were formed where the attendees who wanted to learn more about one particular topic were able to come together in small groups to have further discussions.

 

Overall, these breakout sessions were immensely successful as they stimulated many fruitful discussions over the successes, barriers, and other strategies to help develop and implement health and safety policies across the US. It was great to see states that have been successful in implementing change in a certain area (i.e. heat acclimatization) providing feedback and suggestions to states that have not been successful in implementing such policies. These discussions provided great peer-to-peer feedback, which may have been better received for some individuals.

 

Having attended all of Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sport meetings over the past three years, it has been amazing to see the efforts taken by leaders within state high school athletics associations and sports medicine advisory committees following the meeting to develop and implement health and safety policies. States like Vermont, Illinois, South Carolina, Utah, New Jersey and many others have taken advantage of these meetings to implement best-practice policies in their state with many crediting the Collaborative Solutions meeting as the event that was the impetus for change.

 

While many states have made great strides in improving the health and safety of their student athletes, others have remained resistant to change and often citing “We haven’t had anything happen in our state, so there is no reason to change.” We must remember that implementing evidence-based minimum best practice policies such as emergency action plans, heat acclimatization, access to AEDs, environmental-based activity modification guidelines and the management of sport related concussion, cost little to no money to implement and there should be no reason not to take the proactive steps to keeping our young student athletes safe.

 

Keeping the forward progress mindset and further cultivating relationships between sports medicine advisory committees, high school athletics associations and coaches with the mindset of having the most up-to-date evidence-based policies in place is needed to ensure that our young athletes are protected while playing the sports that they love.

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature or Heat Index?

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Yuri Hosokawa, PhD, ATC, Vice President of Education, Vice President of Communication

 

On February 27th, KSI’s Vice President of Education and Communication, Yuri Hosokawa, PhD, ATC was invited to give a presentation on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) based activity modification guidelines at the Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey.

Screen Shot 2017-03-01 at 1.05.02 PM

In the CAATE Athletic Training Education Competencies [5th Edition] under the Prevention and Health Promotion section, it is stated that athletic trainers should be able to “explain the principles of environmental illness prevention programs to include acclimation and conditioning, fluid and electrolyte replacement requirements, proper practice and competition attire, hydration status, and environmental assessment (e.g., sling psychrometer, wet bulb globe temperatures [WBGT], heat index guidelines).” That being said, we, as Athletic Trainers and clinicians have all been exposed to the utilization of a sling psychrometer, WBGT, and heat index to monitor and assess environmental heat risk. But do you know the differences in how they work? Without the proper understanding of these indices, you may not be capturing the heat strain appropriately. For example, WBGT of 82°F and heat index of 82°F represent very different environmental conditions because of how these numbers are derived.

To calculate WBGT, you will need: wet bulb temperature (Tw), globe temperature (Tg), and dry bulb temperature (Td). Wet bulb temperature is a measurement of humidity, globe temperature is a measurement for amount of solar radiation, and dry bulb temperature is a measurement for air temperature. In addition, wet bulb temperature and globe temperature are influenced by wind speed. WBGT equation (see bellow) weighs heavily on the Tw (70%) because the air saturation dictates the capacity for the body heat dissipation through sweat evaporation. Since evaporative heat loss accounts for the majority heat dissipation during exercise, an environment that hinders this process will pose an extreme heat strain.

 

WBGT= 0.7Tw + 0.2Tg + 0.1Td

 

On the other hand, heat index is a number that shows “how hot it feels” when relative humidity is factored into the air temperature. It also assumes that the environment is under shade (i.e., not full sunshine) and that the person is walking at 3-mph, which is does not depict the heat stress of someone performing intense exercise in the heat. Therefore, it is apparent that activity modification guidelines that rely on heat index is not appropriate in an athletics context. Lastly, the measurement taken from the sling psychrometer is reflective of the Tw and Td. Typically, a sling psychrometer unit comes with a conversion scale, which allows the clinicians to use the Tw and Td values to calculate the heat index.

Athletic trainers, who are interested in checking or improving current activity modification guidelines, are encouraged to review Table 5 from the NATA Position Statement on Exertional Heat illness, which shows an example from the Georgia High School Athletics Association’s activity modification policy using WBGT.

2017 Youth Sport Safety Governing Bodies Meeting

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Samantha Scarneo, MS, ATC, Director of Sport Safety

Screen Shot 2017-02-26 at 6.48.14 PMFour years ago, Dr. Casa had a vision to bring together the representatives responsible for safety initiatives for the leading national governing bodies (NGBs) of youth sports and educate them on how to make their sport safer. This past week, the four-year effort concluded with a meeting at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) headquarters in Carrollton, TX. We have accomplished an astonishing amount over the past three years. In 2015, the 1st Youth Sport Safety Governing Bodies (YSSGB) Meeting was convened by the Korey Stringer Institute and hosted by the National Football League in New York, NY. The goal of this inaugural meeting was to educate the NGB attendees on the top causes of sudden death in sport and to learn what various NGBs have done up to this point to improve youth athlete safety. From this meeting, we were able to leave with a better understanding of the inner-workings of the NGBs; we also learned that it was extremely difficult for NGBs to provide any type of mandate or requirement because they do not have a structure to govern and oversee mandates outside of sport rules. From there, we knew we needed to create a document that outlines what the best practice recommendations should be for youth organizations.

Several position statements, consensus statements, inter-association task force documents, and research articles have been published by professional organizations. However, these documents have had a focus on the high school and older athlete, leaving paucity in the literature as to best practice recommendations for the youth athlete. The 2nd YSSGB meeting led by the Korey Stringer Institute and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association in 2016 focused on creation of a document and aimed to get feedback from the NGBs on what should be included in a best practice document. The outcome from this meeting includes a document to serve as the first of its kind to guide recommendations for improving sport safety for the youth athlete.

 

It was also in the 2016 meeting that the leaders in the NGBs requested to KSI and NATA that we convene to discuss how to continue efforts to make youth sport safer. Which led to our objective for the 2017 YSSGB meeting to discuss the potential tasks that should be addressed for future efforts and again lead by the NATA and KSI.

 

This year’s attendees included a mix of both new faces and veterans to the meeting:

 

US All Star Federation USA Lacrosse
USA Baseball US Soccer
USA Basketball USA Football
USA Track and Field USA Wrestling
USA Gymnastics USA Hockey
American Academy of Pediatrics American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
Korey Stringer Institute National Athletic Trainers Association
Safe Kids World Wide

 

At the meeting, we discussed strengths, areas for improvement, facilitators and barriers for promoting safety initiatives within their own organizations. We had veteran NGBs that discussed their successes and struggles in spearheading the youth sport safety initiatives, while other NGBs that are relatively new shared their recent achievement in mandating the background checks for their coaches, which is also an important topic to be addressed by the NGBs to ensure youth athlete safety. Every representative from the NGBs believed that they could continue to learn from this collaborative effort and were  hopeful for future meetings to continue their discussions in keeping their youth athletes safe.

 

I would be remiss if I did not conclude with a heart-felt thank you to the NATA for their extremely warm welcome to their facilities and for their sponsorship of the meeting. Specifically, to Katie Scott, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer in Residence at the NATA, for all of her time and effort into the creation of this meeting during the past two years, and for her continued commitment, dedication, and passion for improving the profession of athletic training and sport safety for all athletes. I would also like to thank the NATA Foundation for hosting our dinner on Thursday night, and to Camelback and Jones and Bartlett for donating their products.

 

As I have concluded this blog post the past two years, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”—Unknown.

Athletic Director Meeting on Secondary School Health and Safety

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Alicia Pike, Associate Director of Research, KSI

 

In collaboration with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) is conducting a study assessing perceptions of medical care provided at the secondary school level from various key stakeholder groups. These stakeholders are in a position to influence the level of medical care provided to secondary school athletes and include athletic directors, principals, superintendents, parents, coaches, and legislators.

 

As part of this initiative, participants are asked if they would like to take part in a focus group session. The purpose of the focus group, similar to a group discussion, is to gain a more in depth understanding of the participants’ perceptions, and allow them to interact with each other through open dialogue in a non-threatening environment. As the study kicks off, the KSI staff couldn’t think of a better place to hold our first focus group than in Nashville, TN!

 

The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) was holding their National Athletic Director Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville from December 9th to the 13th. With a meeting made possible by the NATA, we recruited athletic directors for a focus group in support of this research initiative. On December 9th, Christy Eason, a University of Connecticut alum and now Assistant Professor of Athletic Training at Lasell College, and myself, conducted our very first focus group. The meeting was a success and resulted in rich dialogue between athletic directors with diverse backgrounds on various health and safety standards.

 

Dr. Douglas Casa, CEO of KSI, and Dr. Rebecca Stearns, COO of KSI, also made the trip to Nashville and were instrumental in ensuring the success of this meeting. After the focus group session, Rachael Oates, Assistant Executive Director of the NATA, and Amanda Muscatell, NATA External Marketing Manager, spoke about the history of the NATA and its growth over the years, as well as their major marketing initiative, AT Your Own Risk. To finish off the meeting, Dr. Casa presented on best practice standards for preventing sudden death in sport, focusing in on the top safety standards that athletic directors in Tennessee should have in place.

 

This meeting not only provided great insight on athletic directors’ perceptions, but also provided an opportunity to network with a unique group of people. This was only the start, but being a part of this meeting has opened my eyes to the true potential of this research initiative. I am extremely excited to see where it goes from here.

 

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center

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The ATLAS Project: The Start of Something Big

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By Robert Huggins, PhD, ATC, VP of Research, VP of Athlete Health and Safety

ATLAS UPDATE

There are countless new and innovative ideas that we have at KSI every day, but every once in a while there is that truly life changing idea. Even as daunting as that idea may seem, there is something deep within your gut, I mean really deep down, that you know can make and impact and is worth doing. The ATLAS Project was one of those ideas for us here at KSI and in true KSI fashion this idea would not be possible without the collaboration of the NATA Secondary School Committee and the members of the NATA.

 

The Athletic Training Locations And Services Project was developed by KSI from the “Athletic Training Services in Public Secondary Schools: A Benchmark Study” with the main goals to:

 

  • Create a real-time database of athletic training services in secondary schools
  • Create a directory for each state’s athletic training association and high school athletics association
  • Assist states in moving toward full-time athletic training services
  • Provide useful data to each state’s athletic training association and high school athletic association
  • Identify common factors associated with increased athletic training services across the country
  • Provide data to assist with legislative efforts to improve healthcare for high school athletes

Since its official launch in January, over 4,500 surveys have been taken by Secondary School Athletic Trainers all across the country. The Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association has the largest percentage of high school athletic trainers who have taken the ATLAS Survey closely followed by Mid-America Mid-Atlantic and Southwest Athletic Training Associations as depicted below. In terms of raw number of surveys California leads with 220 surveys taken and Pennsylvania is in close second with 203 surveys. However, if we look at percentage of surveys taken, District of Columbia, New Mexico, and Utah are in the lead with 80%, 71%, and 55% respectively.

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Currently KSI uses Zeemapsä by Zeesource to map each states’ Athletic Training services and we are proud to say that Vermont and Maine were the first two states to be 100% mapped. Delaware, District of Columbia, Rhode Island and Wyoming are all within 40 schools of being 100% mapped and additional efforts in those states by KSI and their athletic training associations are being made as we speak.
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Recently Robert Huggins PhD, LAT, ATC and Larry Cooper, NATA Secondary School Committee Chair, presented the ATLAS project data at the Collaborative Solutions For Safety In Sport Meeting held at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis and will also be discussing this with Athletic Trainers at the NATA Symposium next week in Baltimore where they hope the project will continue to gain more momentum so be sure to stop by booth #2057 at the NATA Expo to map your high school!