Reaffirming that injury surveillance remains its top priority, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports reemphasized the need for sufficient Association resources and staffing to be devoted to the task.

The committee, which met June 11-13 in Kennebunkport, Maine, cited two reasons for the emphasis on injury surveillance: (1) the data provide a baseline to allow the Association to make decisions about health and safety policies and (2) the data reduce liability to the Association by creating a stronger rationale for decision-making.

The NCAA Executive Committee earlier denied the competitive-safeguards committee's previous budget request for increased injury surveillance funding for 2000-01. The competitive- safeguards committee issued its statements to emphasize early on that injury surveillance is a primary funding issue that should be considered for the 2001-02 budget cycle.

In two other major actions, the committee conducted a final review of the survey instrument for "NCAA Substance Use and Abuse Habits of College Student-Athletes." The survey, which will be administered this fall, is designed to provide guidance for possible expansion of the drug-testing program and additional education efforts on dietary supplements.

The committee also addressed an Executive Committee request to review the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) educational reform proposals. The committee will forward a draft to the division Management Councils before distributing a copy to the membership in the fall.

Also, the committee reviewed NATA's "Appropriate Medical Care in Intercollegiate Athletics" guidelines and will forward its response in August.

Drug-education items

The drug-education and drug-testing subcommittee identified the following initiatives to address a major concern the committee has about nutritional supplements and their role in positive drug tests:

Development of a Resource Exchange Center to provide member institutions and student-athletes with a direct resource on supplement issues.

Development and dissemination of dietary supplement educational posters.

Inclusion of a warning about dietary supplements in the drug-testing protocol booklet.

Inclusion of a warning about nutritional supplements on the student-athlete drug-testing consent form.

The subcommittee also provided the NCAA membership services staff with a list of nutritional supplements that fall under the permissible and nonpermissible categories under Proposal No. 99-72.

This new Division I legislation, effective August 1, 2000, limits athletics departments to providing only those nutritional supplements that provide additional calories and electrolytes. The subcommittee recommended reconsideration of providing nutritional foods through training tables.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has supported the legislation but is against the reinstatement of training tables due to equity issues among teams and institutions.

In other action, the subcommittee reviewed issues involved when an outside sports body declares an international athlete banned or suspended due to a positive drug test and the the athlete subsequently is recruited by an NCAA school. The subcommittee will further review information about procedures and penalties at its January meeting.

In other actions, the subcommittee:

Recommended that an ad hoc committee review NCAA drug-testing penalties to consider the issue of grading penalties for differing infractions.

Approved the participation of a SAAC representative on drug-testing appeals calls as a non-voting member.

Sports sciences safety

The sports science safety subcommittee made significant modifications to several guidelines, including those involving blood-borne pathogens, body composition and medical evaluations and records in the Sports Medicine Handbook. It also accepted a new guideline for "Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education."

The subcommittee recommended mandatory eye protection for women's lacrosse as soon as is practical based on scientific reports and recommendations from medical organizations.

For wrestling, the subcommittee reviewed last year's NCAA-funded research. The subcommittee will work with the wrestling rules committee to develop educational pieces about appropriate weight-loss procedures. The research indicates that wrestlers appear to be adapting positively to the rules changes.

In conjunction with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the subcommittee is looking to address weight-loss issues at the high-school level. It also is considering participating in an October high-school wrestling conference that will focus on weight loss.

In a related topic, the subcommittee is seeking new ways to address eating disorders and nutrition issues. A project team consisting of NCAA student-athlete advisory committee members and representatives from the NFHS, CHAMPS/Life Skills and the subcommittee is under consideration to develop effective education or intervention programs.

The subcommittee also reviewed final research reports, including three in wrestling regarding urine-specific gravity, student-athlete weight-loss practices and philosophies, and body-composition changes during wrestling season.

A report on the return to play after a head trauma and research related to creatine use also were reviewed.

In other actions, the subcommittee:

Discussed eye protection in field hockey, but decided not to recommend mandatory protective eyewear at this time.

Reviewed preliminary survey results on in-season and out-of-season football practices and agreed to analyze them further at a future meeting.

Reviewed its May 5 meeting with women's gymnastics coaches and agreed to modify the Injury Surveillance System forms according to their requests.

Heard an update on the NCAA Baseball Research Panel's ongoing review of college baseball bats.