Parents If you felt you had to stay for safty...

[momto2js]

If you felt you had to stay at practice so that the right decisions would be made if your kid got hurt would you be looking for another gym?? I have often stayed for practice because getting home and back just isn't a good option. Tonight one of our boys took a scary fall on the floor. He hit his head on the floor and was dazed and confused. He was moved out of the way and told to rest. His parents were called, when they arrived a hour later, he was unable to walk alone.

If I had been there I would have had the guts to call 911. But my husband was there at the time and he didn't think to do it. I feel like we have to stay to make sure that if is my kid that takes a bad fall, I'm there to make decisions. Our training ratio is about 22 to 1 coach several days a week and something like this was bound to happen. It is not a good situation, but we don't have many good options.

Does the USAG have a way to report safety concerns to have coaches and gym's membership reviewed? I'm sure they have head and neck injury guidelines?? I really don't want a gym switch but I'm really worried. Does your gym have a concussion protocol?? Have you ever seen it put in action?

 

[bogwoppit]

The coach should have called parents and an ambulance immediately in that situation.

I would be concerned. Safety training for head and neck injuries is very clear.

The gym should have an accident log.

PM @dunno about this please.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

In the 2 years at our gym only one issue at the gym and that was a parent who fainted and hit the floor. 911 was called. So I have no doubt if it was the kids they would call.

Without being there and able know exactly what happened I can say what I would of done if it wasn't my kid. Nor do I know what the parents said via the phone.

I don't stay, but I don't go far either. for my girl a fall with a head injury, if the gym hadn't called 911 before they called me I would do it and tell them I was going to, then depending where I was and my husband was, it would either be meet the ambulance at the gym or at the hospital. And if I didn't trust them to handle an emergency and do what I asked, we wouldn't be there.

But I never even thought to ask about an "official protocol".

 

[lovemygymnast]

Oh my! No, I trust them to take care of my girl. They've called when she wasn't feeling well and I do know, if they thought she was hurt, they would take care of her. If not, I could never, ever leave. Can you let us know the boys status? I pray he's okay!! The protocol is something I would certainly discuss with the owner. Honestly, having training and protocol in place benefits him and the gym! If I were that boy's parents, I would have been livid!!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

safety manual. athletes are never to be moved when a suspected head or neck trauma has taken place. 911 is the preference in ALL head and neck suspected traumas.

 

[raenndrops]

safety manual. athletes are never to be moved when a suspected head or neck trauma has taken place. 911 is the preference in ALL head and neck suspected traumas.

We had a girl fall (decided 1/2 way through her back tuck that she didn't want to do it... I think it may have actually been vestibular as she said she lost her place in the air). Landed on her head / neck. Parents were called and 911 was called. It took HC, Assistant HC, the EMS responders, and myself to convince Dad that she NEEDED to go to the hospital - in the ambulance. HE was going to have her get dressed and take her home.
She had a concussion, a "stinger" and something wrong with her back that could have gotten worse if she hadn't been treated that night.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I would most definitely be looking for another gym if you feel,you can't safely leave your child there!

 

[profmom]

Anything like that there would have been an ambulance at the gym in short order unless a parent was there and specifically countermanded it. We sign a release that allows for medical transport if a parent can't be reached.

Your gym's safety protocols badly need an overhaul.

Edited to add: you've mentioned the ratio before, and it sounds like the coach is overwhelmed. I agree -- with numbers like that, it was really only a matter of time. No coach, no matter how good, can safely coach that number of athletes unless he has most of them doing conditioning or skills that are 100% safe. And early compulsory boys, especially the young ones + back handsprings = not 100% safe. Even if they've got it, they have to be watched like hawks!

 

[momto2js]

Yes indeed the ratio is a contributing factor. I'm not upset about the injury. Even if it had been one on one, accidents happen when training bigger skills. I am however upset about how it was handled. This warranted a A 911 call and then the parent.

 

[my4buffaloes]

It is worth asking about what their protocol is - or is supposed to be. How are they supposed to handle something like this? If they have a plan in place that this coach didn't follow that is one issue. If they have no plan and coaches aren't properly trained that is another issue. Worth seeing what issue you are dealing with here.

 

[Anna's_Mom]

I would definitely want to ask the gym what their standard protocol is for such a situation. And I'd base my next actions for my child on their answer. I do know that they only time my DD was seriously hurt (broken arm on bad back handspring), I was called right away and offered 911/ambulance if I weren't close enough to get there right away. I don't stay but I only live about 10 minutes away.

However, we don't know what transpired between the coach and parents when they were called. Perhaps they are anti-medicine for some reason. Perhaps they don't have insurance and told the gym specifically not to call 911. Or maybe the family is one of those "boys need to learn to be tough" sorts who don't believe "all this hype" about a concussion. You never know, so I wouldn't automatically assume the gym did something wrong. If they hadn't been called I would be looking for a new gym immediately.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

I would definitely be asking about what the protocol when it comes to injuries. At my dds gym anything that is a sever head, neck and back injury parents get called and ambulance gets called no question. They don't want to risk more damage to the child.