Sports have Changed and the Requirements for Coaches Should Also Change
Sports have always been a huge aspect of people's lives, especially in the United States. Sports date back to ancient times when men used to create games to compete in, at times with the ending at the death of their opponent. Fortunately, that is illegal today but many men, women, and children like participating in a variety of sporting activities. Many do it to channel their energy and competitiveness, some do it to be fit and lose weight and others participate for the love of the sport. No matter what level athlete you are, a good coach is an imperative part of athletics.
Young children need a coach to show them how to master a skill or how to play the game, professional athletes need good coaches to make sure that they are playing at their highest level. Coaches today are required to have a great deal of experience as well as education in the sport that they coach. The one thing, however, that is not required of all coaches is to be trained to know and use CPR Supplies & the use of a AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). This is one to several things coaches should be trained in today.
Sports are started at much younger ages these days and the level of competition is also greater at a young age as well. Kids are playing a sport year round rather than playing a different one each season. This is why, more people are participating in sports today than 20 years ago. With that increased participation, comes increased risk to the athletes playing. More injuries are occurring in sports as athletes push themselves harder than they ever used to. Several younger athletes have seen how successful a career in professional sports is and desire that too. Because of that pressure to excel in sports, athletes, parents and coaches are feeling compelled to push themselves more than is healthy. This is surely why it is so imperative for coaches to be trained to handle various medical emergencies.
Coaches should take classes in basic first aid and CPR as a start. It is required to be a teacher so why is it not required for coaches who push their athletes so hard? They should be trained in basic first aid techniques dealing with sprains, broken bones, cuts,etc. More importantly, they should learn CPR and how to use CPR Supplies and a AED in case an athlete can't breathe and collapses. Immediately starting CPR can literally save someone's life in those important first moments before the ambulance arrives. All coaches should also have the necessary items to revive someone who has collapsed.
Several years ago a young strong college basketball player collapsed on the court and died. If they had had an AED they could have saved his life. Another happier ending is a story of a teenage girl who was playing softball one summer evening. She was struck by lightning on the softball diamond and the coach used the AED and CPR supplies on her to revive her heart and saved her life.