School Safety Tips: Spring Sports

March 28, 2016

Making sure your students are safe while they’re in school is certainly a rather large, and extremely difficult job. While there are several places where school safety comes into play, one of the most important areas where school safety plays a tremendous role is during extracurricular sports. Why, you ask? Well, it’s no surprise that kids can get pretty competitive, and play rough. In fact, students are much more likely to become injured playing on a school sports team than sitting in chemistry class, or even participating in gym.

All of that being said, spring sports are certainly on the horizon if they haven’t already began in your district. That means employing the following sports safety tips is key to help avoid injury.

• Mandate a physical. In order for students to be eligible to participate on any team, they should first be required to be cleared for play by their [primary care physician.
• Encourage hydration. Students should be drinking plenty of water before, during and after each practice or game.
• Always stretch. Stretching is key for avoiding injury. Encourage your student athletes to stretch before playing or working out to help prevent muscle tears and sprains.
• Get certified. Make sure all of your coaches and physical education teachers are CPR certified. It’s also important for them to be able to identify the signs of a concussion.
• Allow for rest. While it may be tempting to put sports seasons back-to-back, it’s important to leave room for resting in between. Always schedule new sports seasons with a bit of cushion in between.

While you’re at it, make sure that all of your athletic equipment is sturdy and safe for students to train and play on. Remember, faulty equipment is just another way that students can be injured during their season! In fact, here at Nickerson Corporation we believe that students should be provided with athletic equipment that is durable, innovative and most importantly, safe.

To learn more about the athletic products we supply and how they can aid in your spring sports season, click here or call 631-666-0200.