IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2006-07

sports medicine Advisory Committee

April 19 , 2007

The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington, Illinois, was held on Thursday, April 19, 2007, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were Gregory Gaa, Todd Cassens, Dr. James Green, Dr. Richard Everett, Senator John Davidson, John Wator, Dr. Cynthia LaBella, Dr. William Marcuzzo, and Dr. Preston Wollin. Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson and Dennis Snep, Belleville (West) were also in attendance.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOARD ACTION

None brought forward.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURAL RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The committee accepted the Football Playoff Injury Report as presented and approved a recommendation to continue commissioning Dennis Snep to conduct the Football Playoff Injury Report and implement the following changes for the 2007-08 school term:

Make the form an on-line one, send it out in advance of each playoff contest, and require schools to complete the form on a weekly basis.
Develop an ‘observers’ program that would utilize physicians, athletic trainers, and students in sports medicine/athletic training programs to monitor random playoff contests to study the injury occurrences which occur.

Rationale: The committee continues to see the merit in conducting the injury report. The report has been beneficial over the years, and has helped the association validate its tournament structure. This year, though, while the report indicated that the injury per game rate continues to decrease, there was a significant statistical difference in the injury reporting for Classes 1A, 2A, and 3A and 6A and 8A. Mr. Snep and the committee are not sure at this point why this difference has occurred, and as a result, are recommending the changes outlined above. Making the form on-line and requiring schools to complete it in a more timely fashion should create for even better reporting results. Making the form an on-line experience should make for an easier method for reporting for schools but will require some additional follow up by IHSA staff to ensure completion. The committee also sees merit in developing the observers program to help validate the results of the reports. There are a number of potential theories for the significant statistical differences in injury rates among the classes listed above, and having a program that will allow the researcher to validate the reports of member schools will enable the researcher and the committee better and more reliable data to review in future reports. Should the recommendation be approved, the committee will work on creating a list of potential observers from around the state to assist in the project and develop the necessary training for the observers to complete their work.

Items of Discussion

1. The committee heard its annual update of the Football Injury Report from Belleville (West) Head Coach Dennis Snep. The executive summary can be found on the IHSA website. The major findings of this year’s report are detailed in the recommendation above.
2. The committee continued its discussion in regards to drug testing. Following their November meeting, the committee reviewed a number of items and established a tentative timeline for developing a proposal. The committee began working on a draft of its proposal and will meet twice more over the next couple of months to continue formalizing a proposal it hopes to present to the Board of Directors early next year. In addition, the committee will work on finding and/or developing educational resources for schools to use with their student populations, coaches, and parents in raising continued awareness on anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing dietary supplements found on the IHSA’s banned list. As a part of this work, the committee shall develop a FAQ sheet for distribution at the time of the all-school mailing that will be aimed at answering some of the anticipated questions of the membership regarding this project.
3. The committee heard a report from Dr. Wolin concerning a possible by-law proposal that will be presented to the membership during the 2007-08 IHSA legislative session. The proposal will formally require member schools to provide an established minimum standard for medical coverage which shall be present at all varsity football contests, regular and post-season.
4. The committee heard a report from John Wator of Orland Park (Sandburg) High School regarding the development of a skin conditions presentation he is working on that can be used as an educational piece for wrestling. There continue to be concerns over the lack of knowledge regarding skin conditions and diseases wrestlers contract during the course of the season which ultimately put other athletes at risk. It is expected that the presentation will be completed in time to be included in the wrestling rules interpretation meetings next fall. At that time, the committee shall also review the Skin Condition Verification Form to see if the form needs to be updated in any fashion.
5. The committee reviewed some correspondence that had been sent to the IHSA Office in regards to its current policy concerning student-athletes who suffer from asthma. After discussing the issue, the committee affirmed its position to allow athletes to self-medicate themselves with an inhaler in accordance with provisions outlined in the Illinois School Code.
6. The committee reviewed some correspondence that concerned whether or not the association should develop some kind of guidelines for playing outdoor contests in cold weather. Currently, member schools have the authority to determine the playability of an outdoor contest in regards to weather conditions. After discussing the issue, the committee continues to believe that school administrators are in the best position to exercise the proper judgement in determining whether or not to play a contest given the weather conditions for any day. Having a hard and fast rule would prove, in the opinion of the committee, to cumbersome and impractical for schools to effectively implement.