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Saturday, August 22, 2015

Safety

As a coach (and prior basketball parent), I'm concerned about safety. Many elements contribute to the training/game play environment.

External:
  • Environmental conditions - heat/humidity, rain, lightning 
  • Facility specific - lighting, floor condition (can relate to environmental issues), safety/padding under the basket, proximity of hazards (scorer's table, stands) to playing surface, leaks, ventilation 

Player Related:
  • Rest and conditioning 
  • Hydration status (relates to environmental conditions)
  • Injury prevention*
  • Players creating spills (common!)
  • Players should not stretch (sweat) on the floor 
  • Mouth guards (impacts concussion risk and dental injury) 
  • Bench maintenance (I keep a towel in the ball bag now) 
  • Ankle braces may reduce basketball-related ankle injuries


I may consider rotating players to lead dynamic stretching along these lines.

Being safety conscious shows players and families another part of your total commitment to player development and well-being.