North Oxnard AYSO Soccer

A MESSAGE FROM THE SAFETY DIRECTOR

Welcome to AYSO Region 304! It is my goal as the Regional Safety Director to ensure a SAFE playing environment for all of the teams and volunteers participating in our Region. I would like to invite all of our volunteers to take AYSO's CDC Concussion awareness course on AYSO's Online Training Site http://www.aysotraining.org/default.asp.

For your convenience I have posted some basic Safety Information as well as some of the most frequently used Safety Forms for you to download. For more information and to download the current Soccer Accident Insurance Claim Form please visit www.ayso.org. As always I thank you for your contribution to the organization and most of all the KIDS.

Have a SAFE, Fair, and Fun AYSO Season!

Chris Jetton
Region 304 Safety Director

Soccer Safety Tips

Injury Prevention Tips

1. WARM-UP: Most soccer injuries occur very early or very late in the game or practices. Early game injuries are usually related to improper warm-up prior to play. Warm-ups should last 15-30 minutes.

A. Begin with stretches. Younger players need less stretching but it is important for stretching to become part of their sports routine. Starting in U12 and older stretching is extremely important to prevent pulls and strains.

B. Next move to light movement activities with the ball, such as dribbling and passing drills.

C. Lastly, include explosive activities, such as sprints and lateral movements. These movements mimic the movements of the game. When this part of the warm-up is over, the child should be sweating.

2. CONDITIONING: Late game injury is usually due to fatigue. This is due to lack of conditioning. At the beginning of the season, start to improve the endurance and strength of your players. During games, especially at the beginning of the season, pay attention to the fatigue level of your players and rest them as needed.

REMEMBER, YOUR JOB AS A COACH IS TO MAKE SURE THE CHILDREN ARE SAFE. PROPER WARM-UPS AND CONDITIONING WILL GO A LONG WAY TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT GET INJURED DURING PRACTICES AND GAMES.

3. FLUIDS: The importance of fluids can not be over emphasized. All players should drink BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER athletic activity. A recommended schedule is 4-8 oz. before active play, 4 oz. every 20 minutes during active play, and 16 oz. after play. For older players and in hot weather, this should be the absolute minimum fluid intake. Thirst is not a good Indicator for fluid needs, especially during active play. Players should drink to quench thirst and then 4-8 oz. more. Water (at any temperature) is the best source of fluid intake. Sports drinks are ok as well; however, high sugar levels can inhibit the body’s fluid absorption. Carbonated soft drinks, and juices with high sugar level should be avoided at all times.

4. HEAT: Players should be watched for signs of heat sickness. Symptoms range from moist, clammy skin with nausea, dizziness, and weakness (heat exhaustion); to hot, red, dry skin with sudden collapse and mental confusion (heat stroke). To prevent heat sickness, players should drink plenty of fluids before, during and after play, take it easy and rest frequently in hot weather, put on sunscreen to prevent sunburn (which increases body temperature), and watch for early symptoms. If a player looks weak, is sweating profusely, and has flushed skin, pull him from the field, rest him in a cool shady place and give him lots of fluid (a sports drink would be good in this case, as they replace salts and other needed nutrients in the water, of course water is always ok).

5. NUTRITION: Foods that increase energy are good choice for game day and even the night before. High Carbohydrate foods (pasta, vegetables, and fruits) are recommended. Every player should eat a good breakfast on game day. For early morning games, players should eat a lighter but balanced meal. For mid-game snacks, any fruit is good (YES EVEN ORANGES). Avoid candy and other snack high in sugars.

6. HEADERS: It is recommended that children under the age of 10 not use the heading technique. They do not have adequate head and neck strength or the depth perception necessary to properly use this technique.

7. INJURIES: Remember, prevention is key, but if injuries do occur, the coach's job is to provide basic first aid, contact your regional safety director, and make sure that the proper forms are filled out and submitted.

A. FIRST AID: For extremity injures (usually ankles and knees), immediate treatment should be:

Protect the injury (only take shoes and shin guards off if you are sure it will not further injure the affected part)

Rest the injured part

Ice the injury for the first 72 hours (no heat on acute injuries) Ice should not be applied directly to skin and should be applied for 15-20 minutes twice per hour.

Compress the area to decrease swelling.

Elevate the injury above your heart.

REMEMBER P.R.I.C.E.

For leg injuries, the player should not be allowed to resume play until he/she can walk without pain.

B. BLOODY INJURIES: during any AYSO sponsored event (game, practice, team party, etc.) any injury that results in bleeding requires you adhere to the AYSO's policy for handling blood. During a game or practice the Bleeding player, referee, or coach must leave the field of play. The bleeding person may not return until the bleeding is stopped and properly bandaged. ALL blood must be cleaned from the skin and clothing and neutralized with an approved agent prior to the return of this person.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR REGIONAL SAFETY DIRECTOR.

THE AYSO INCIDENT REPORT FORM AND SAI (SOCCER ACCIDENT INSURANCE) CLAIM FORMS ARE AVALIABLE AT WWW.AYSO.ORG

8. EQUIPTMENT AND FIELDS: Players should wear proper safety equipment to all practices and games. This consists of SHINGUARDS completely covered by socks, shoes (cleats are not necessary but recommended) and a proper sized ball in safe condition (check inflation pressure and for rough torn edges). Players should not be allowed to wear jewelry of any kind, this includes but is not limited to; necklaces, bracelets (hard or soft), wrist bands, ear rings (not even taped), hard hair pieces, etc. Finger nails should be of an appropriate length (should not be visible over the fingertips). Field safe for coaches primarily means making sure the area you practice is safe. Look for holes, sprinkler heads, broken glass and other types of obstacles that players can trip and injure themselves on. Do not allow players to park their bikes or skateboards next to the field (bikes should be walked on the field at all times).

For more information please contact the Regional Safety Director / Risk Manager:

Chris Jetton email: [email protected]

Street and Parking Lot Safety

With the number of AYSO players, parents and volunteers at an all-time high, it is crucial that you establish an efficient and safe parking lot drop-off and pick-up system that is equipped to handle large numbers of people. Below are some of the critical areas that you will want to consider as well as share with everyone in your organization to keep everyone - and especially the kids! - safe.

Haste Is Your Worst Enemy

Nowadays, it's normal to see a harried parent or guardian rushing to drop their children at the local soccer field for practice and games. While punctuality is a virtue, rushing - and subsequent carelessness - certainly is not.

Adults aren't the only people who fall victim to haste. Kids love to run through parking lots and in between cars in their haste to start playing, forgetting to look both ways. That's why it's important to take a strong safety in the streets stance to prevent parking lot accidents

Player Loading Zone

There is a designated player loading zone in the alleyway adjacent to the fields. This area is for player loading/unloading only and is not a legal parking area.

Evaluate The Traffic Patterns

Be aware of how automobile traffic moves through and around the parking lot and the streets surrounding it and the field. What kind of pull-offs are there, if any? Is it a high traffic area where kids are in danger from moving traffic? Are there parked cars on both sides of the street where it may be difficult for motorists to see kids crossing?

Answering these kinds of questions will help you better evaluate the safety needs of everyone concerned

Speedster Remedies

Slow down motorists by placing temporary signs in the parking lot warning them that their reduced speed is appreciated.

Signs that announce: Children at Play or Slow: Children will help lighten those lead feet. Take a proactive stand with your local city council, safety boards and park boards to put in speed bumps or road signs, etc. that may be necessary to slow traffic.

Heavy Traffic

Fields located near a busy intersection may need additional traffic lights, better crossing signals or maybe added stop signs, etc. Practices are often held after school and that means rush hour! Again, talk and work closely with local agencies and local government departments to make certain all safety needs are being met to protect the kids.

Lighting Conditions

A lack of proper lighting is a major safety concern. Make sure that there is adequate lighting so pedestrians and bicyclists can be spotted easily and from a distance by motorists. For added safety-insurance, put reflective tape on clothing and reflectors on bicycles to improve visibility.

Potholes & Cracked Roads

Cracked, crumbling concrete and asphalt are hazardous to everyone: pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Don't wait for someone else to do something about roads and parking lots that need repair, bring it to the immediate attention of your local city council, traffic and/or parks department - Pave the Way to Improved Street Safety!

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