Steps continue to be taken to ensure the safety of those playing high school sports in Indiana.
On July 1, House Enrolled Act 1024 became law, requiring all coaches, paid and voluntary, to complete a course on heat preparedness by the Indiana High School Athletic Association every two years.
The law is the third and final step of Indiana Representative Ronald Bacon, R-Chandler, to make coaches better informed and prepared should an emergency arise.
Coaches take courses on concussion awareness, heat illness and sudden cardiac arrest online on the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) website. Each takes approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
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“Every state has considerations for health-related legislation, mandates and things of that nature. We just changed our coach education rule with respect to our bylaws,” IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox said.
“We just basically scrapped our old coach education rule, and now our rule says that every coach, varsity through freshman, you must have three courses in order to coach.”
The summer means most preseason workouts for football, soccer, cross country and, girls golf and boys tennis are outdoors. Volleyball practices are in a climate-controlled environment, though these athletes, too, are susceptible to injury and illness.
Franklin boys soccer coach Tony Harris completed the online course on heat preparedness in June.
About to start his eighth season with the Grizzly Cubs, Harris said increased knowledge won’t change the way he conducts practices.
“I don’t know if that changes our routine,” Harris said. “We take plenty of water breaks and make sure the players are hydrated. I just think it makes you more aware. It’s got to be in the back of your mind. We’re there for them first and the team second.”
At Greenwood, coaches were given a deadline in early June to complete the heat preparedness course. Failure to do so meant not being able to coach Woodmen athletes.
“As a teacher you’re always short on time, but it’s what’s best for the kids,” Greenwood tennis coach Jeremy Runge said. “If you’re not doing what’s best for the kids, you’re not in the right profession at all.”
Football players are at greater risk of heat illness due to the helmet and protective padding they often wear practicing outside.
Prior to 1959, there were five heat-related deaths in football reported in the United States, according to research conducted by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury (though records weren’t as accurately kept as today). From 1960-2016, the number increased dramatically to 143.
Football coaches must complete a total of four online courses before being allowed to coach at their respective high school, the other being helmet and equipment fitting.
All are designed to protect the young athlete.
“I think it’s a good thing. The more education we have, the better it is,” Indian Creek football coach Brett Cooper said. “It’s one of those things the way society is structured that we need as much education as possible to keep our kids safe.”
When Eric Moore took the Center Grove job in 1999, he and other Indiana high school coaches weren’t required to be educated the way they are today. He feels the heat preparedness course is an important step.
“It’s always a great thing to have all football coaches educated in the subject of heat exhaustion,” Moore said. “From the time we were players to the time we have been coaches, hydration has made a full-circle improvement.
“From the old days where toughness was determined by going without water to where now players are hydrating the entire practice anytime they wish.”
Whiteland football coach Darrin Fisher and the 14 members of his staff completed the courses in May. Now in his 14th season with the Warriors and 28th overall as a head coach, Fisher has also been around long enough to notice the benefits of coaches being educated.
“I don’t think there is anything wrong with all of us being prepared in case there is an emergency,” Fisher said. “Everyone wants to do what’s good for kids. Keeping them protected and safe is a top priority. And I learned things I didn’t know before that.”
The IHSAA requires all coaches to be certified in sudden cardiac arrest, concussion in sports and heat illness prevention by the first practice date in their sport. For girls golf, it’s July 27; for other fall sports it’s July 30. Athletic directors send periodic reminders to winter and spring coaches as the first practice dates for their sports get closer.
“(NFHS) has been keeping statistics on heat-related illnesses and deaths for decades. It’s not a new concept, but I think there’s a more pointed focus, particularly when you have a death that occurs either in your state or around you,” Cox said. “If you’re in direct supervision of a kid, you need to take the course.
“Hope to goodness you never have to use it.”
