The NCAA News - News and FeaturesAugust 4, 1997
Committee focuses on sports-safety outreach programs
Editor's note: The NCAA News erroneously republished in its July 21, 1997, issue a report on an NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports meeting that occurred during June 1996. Following is a report on the June 1997 meeting of the committee that should have appeared in the July 21 issue.
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recently reviewed and endorsed a proposal that will be forwarded to the Divisions I and II Management Councils detailing steps to make spring football practice safer.
The committee met June 25-27 in Monterey, California.
The competitive-safeguards committee plans to work toward gaining approval of the proposal in time for the 1998 spring football season. (Details of the proposal, which was developed by the committee, the American Football Coaches Association and the Collegiate Commissioners Association, were reported in the July 21 issue of The NCAA News.)
Educational outreach efforts of the committee also were discussed in detail during the meeting. The committee identified four specific areas of emphasis in the coming year:
It plans to increase communication with the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) at that group's district meetings.
Increased committee presence at conference sports medicine meetings also is a goal.
It also will seek to sponsor a symposium on drug use, testing and research in athletics with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
It will consider doing a presentation at the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention.
Other actions
In other actions, the committee:
Reviewed proposed changes in the Division I athletics certification program and endorsed the student-athlete welfare issues recommended by the committee in its 1996 health and safety plan. The committee recommended that similar additions be made in the Institutional Self-Study Guides in Divisions II and III. The committee plans to work with the respective division Management Councils to encourage such revisions.
Reviewed research of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The committee will continue to monitor such injuries in soccer and basketball through the Injury Surveillance System (ISS). The committee recommended a second year of an NCAA-funded research program to measure variables involved in and the causes of these injuries. As part of the study, athletic trainers will be asked to report all ACL injuries and their causes to researcher Melissa Cohen as they happen. Individuals who want more information on this study may call Cohen at 612/624-9165.
Noted Association plans to sponsor the 1998 National Eating Disorders Screening Program, which will be held in February. The committee will distribute information to the membership encouraging participation in the program. The committee also reviewed ideas for a new eating-disorders poster, which will be released this fall.
Reviewed a recent statement from the American Heart Association on preparticipation cardiovascular screening for athletes. The statement recommended that such screening be done every two years. Standard current procedure is to screen student-athletes upon their arrival on campus, but to repeat the process only if annual review of the individual's health history indicates a need for concern. The committee recommended requesting specific justification of this recommendation from the AHA to pass on to member institutions.
Recommended modification of the "Concussion and Second-Impact Syndrome" guideline in the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook to better reflect the lack of medical consensus on the grading and return-to-play criteria associated with concussions. Discussions on this topic will continue at the committee's February meeting.
Reviewed the case of a high-school student-athlete who received a sex-change operation, from male to female. The committee noted that the NCAA has no formal policy on this issue, but also noted that such an individual likely would have a competitive advantage in competition against women because of the individual's naturally higher level of testosterone before the operation.
Discussed the effects of NCAA restructuring on committee action. The committee noted that since budget issues for Division I now will be acted upon at meetings beginning in mid-February, it should consider moving the winter competitive-safeguards committee meeting that traditionally has been scheduled in February to late January, so that the committee can have ample time to discuss programs, such as drug testing, that may have budget implications.
Reviewed correspondence from the Glaucoma Foundation requesting interaction with the NCAA on education about this issue. The committee praised that organization's efforts and recommended including an article on the topic in the fall issue of the NCAA Sports Sciences Newsletter.
Recommended that William F. Arnet of the general counsel's office at the University of Missouri, Columbia, be selected as chair, replacing G. Dennis Wilson of Auburn University, whose term expired.
Sports Sciences Safety
The sports sciences safety subcommittee of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports took the following actions during its June 25-27 meeting in Monterey, California:
Noted that this year's NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook will include a new guideline on lightning safety during outdoor athletics events. Related discussion prompted the committee to initiate communication with the Association's playing-rules committees to assess the current chain of command in various sports for stopping and resuming an outdoor contest because of severe weather.
Noted that there will be significant revisions to current NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook guidelines regarding "Concussion and Second-Impact Syndrome," "Nutritional Ergogenic Aids" and "Sports Medicine Administration."
Announced plans to develop a call for proposals for external research on the effects of creatine on the body (other than possible performance enhancement). The committee also reviewed ongoing efforts to study baseball/softball bat safety issues and overuse injuries.
Considered a request from the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Committee to permit gymnasts the option of raising the vault 15 centimeters for taller gymnasts, whose performance may be hindered because of the current fixed height. The committee voted that it may be prudent to permit this practice after considering three issues: (1) Maintaining the stability of the horse as the height is increased; (2) ensuring that the extra time in the air gained by raising the horse is not used to add more difficult skills, which would compromise safety; and (3) recognizing that vaulters of all heights may choose to raise the horse to gain post-flight air time, thus minimizing the perceived benefits for taller gymnasts.
Noted that the Injury Surveillance System (ISS) will monitor information in the following areas for the first time this year: overuse injuries in middle- and long-distance running and out-of-season injuries in men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, and men's and women's lacrosse.
Noted the addition of questions to the ISS basketball form that will allow the committee to assess locations on the court where injuries are most likely to occur.
Recommended that the committee accept the invitation of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Rules Committee to attend the sport's coaches convention in April and engage in a thorough discussion on regulations on helmets, face masks and head injuries.
Noted that the NCAA Women's Softball Rules Committee should consider requiring the wearing of helmets by catchers.
Accepted a letter from the chair of the NCAA Wrestling Committee noting changes that committee recommended in its rules regarding weigh-ins. The competitive-safeguards committee applauded the efforts of the sport in addressing the weight-loss issue and recommended future consideration of adjusting weight classes to reflect the increased size of wrestlers.
Noted with interest a request to develop a means for measuring the effectiveness of various mouthguards, but decided that the subject is not a high enough priority to warrant a request for funding from the NCAA Research Committee.
Reviewed a proposal from the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee that the competitive-safeguards committee support a request to the Research Committee to provide funding for a study of lacrosse sticks. The study would determine the effects of offset sticks and handles on the game and player safety. The committee noted that the issue appears to be primarily one of competitive advantage rather than safety. The committee did not support the study based on safety concerns, but encouraged the Men's Lacrosse Committee to pursue the issue from a competitive-advantage standpoint, if appropriate.
Drug testing and education
The drug-education and drug-testing subcommittee of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports took the following actions during its June 25-27 meeting in Monterey, California:
Reviewed the final draft of the NCAA Study of Substance Use and Abuse Habits of College Student-Athletes. The subcommittee noted significant concerns about whether the differences in data-collection methods among the three previous and this most recent study prevented the subcommittee from developing findings related to changes in drug-use habits over time. The subcommittee agreed to inform the NCAA Research Committee and national office research staff that it is pleased with the data, but is reluctant to use it for purposes other than establishing a baseline for further studies and for modifying current education and testing programs. The committee agreed to ask the Research Committee to review the subcommittee's concern during its July meeting and to provide further information to the subcommittee if it believes the comparisons to previous years are valid.
Noted that a revised version of the substance-abuse study results mentioned above will be distributed to the membership in the fall. The educational outlets the committee will use for distribution are The NCAA News, the Sports Sciences Education Newsletter and the National Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Violence. The committee also plans to mail the report to athletics directors, athletic trainers and life skills coordinators. Other plans for release include publication of related articles by subcommittee and national office research staff members in sports medicine trade journals.
Identified and ranked by priority six sports for addition to the year-round drug-testing program. The sports, in the subcommittee's priority order, are Division I baseball, Division I men's and women's swimming, Division III football, Division II baseball, Division I wrestling, and Division II track and field. The subcommittee requested that the national office staff develop a plan for review at the subcommittee's February meeting. The subcommittee noted that such expansion plans should take into consideration direct and indirect costs of adding sports and schools to the program.
Agreed to require that the director of athletics and the head coach from the involved sport participate in drug-testing appeals. The subcommittee also agreed that the national office staff and the drug-testing subcommittee chair may make exceptions if the athletics director is unavailable and a senior member of his or her staff can serve as the institutional representative during the appeal.
Asked that the NCAA Wrestling Committee recommend notification protocol that would eliminate cases of student-athletes in that sport forgetting about their drug-testing obligations.
Made modifications to the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook guideline regarding "Nutritional Ergogenic Aids," including highlighting the messages in the last paragraph and adding language regarding medical/legal issues involving athletics departments that provide supplements to student-athletes. The subcommittee stressed that supplements can be dangerous and/or result in a positive drug test, and use of such substances should be approached with extreme caution.
Noted that it will include questions on this fall's survey asking institutions about testing for marijuana and other street drugs and the penalties for a positive test.
Added bromantan, dehydroepiandrosterone and dihydrotestosterone to the NCAA banned-drug list.
Received an update on national office staff plans to reach student-athletes directly with informational materials on drug testing. This effort includes the possibility of distributing pamphlets, posters, wallet cards and similar materials at drug-testing sites as student-athletes complete drug testing.
Heard a presentation from staff members representing the Betty Ford Center and discussed ideas to augment the NCAA program that is conducted in conjunction with that organization. The subcommittee asked the national office staff to research the proposed concepts further and present its findings at the committee's February meeting.
Received an update from the national office staff on antitobacco initiatives and agreed to continue these efforts. Plans include the production of a second video.
Heard initial discussion on the NCAA's role in ad-
dressing issues related to alcohol use by minors while on recruiting trips. The subcommittee agreed to gather examples of related institutional policies and ask for further input on its fall drug survey. The committee also will ask NCAA entities responsible for recruiting to discuss possible ways for the national office and the competitive-safeguards committee to be involved in these issues. The committee agreed to spend additional time on the topic at its next meeting.
|
