injury protocol

[gymcoach26]

This past week we had 2 pretty serious injuries requiring hospital treatment. Let me make it clear that these accidents are in no way the coaches fault and were totally out of the norm for us. Proper matting was in place, proper instruction and spotting etc. They were not high level gymnasts, but rather rec kids which made it even more unexpected. I am used to the occoasional scrapes, stubbed toe, or blister, but this was nothing like that.

It just led me to wonder how other gyms handle these freak accidents when you are in the middle of a class. I am safety certified along with CPR and 1st aid, so it is not the injury that frazzled me, but rather what to do with the rest of the kids. How does your gym handle the remainder of the students when you need to tend to a serious injury. It is tough when you have 5-7 other young, beginner students looking on in shock while you tend to an injury. I don't want the kids to be scared seeing an injury while they are sitting down waiting for me and watching on, but I also can't let them still practice without my supervision.

 

[Optionals United]

I remember when someone at our gym broke his arm, we stopped practice went to the other side of the gym and conditioned till things got taken care of. Would this be something that you could let them do alone, or could you send them to another level coach and condition while you took care of the problem??

 

[marie83]

We send our gymnasts onto the changing room if it isn't appropriate for them to continue. Another coach goes with them to reassure them and explain to them what happened. If the accident isn't on the floor we get the gymnasts to do some basics.

 

[10.0]

If you have a gym owner around or a coach not currently coaching ask them to step in and take over, even if they don't teach that level they could condition, or work basics until the problem is resolved. Or if nothing else if everyone is coaching maybe they can jump in with a lower level class untilt he issue is over. Also try to remove either the injured child or the classmates so that the kids are not looking on in terror.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

We had a serious injury this week in my 5 year old daughter's class this week too. Another coach stepped in immediately and had the class join hers. The parents went into action and helped the coach with what she needed for the injured girl who is 6. The key is to have some kind of plan in place. Thankfully we have not only trained coaches but trained parents as well. Everyone remained calm so that is key too.

 

[gymcoach26]

During one of the accidents I was the only coach there. The other time, we had our office manager there. She stepped in to watch the class, but I still had to leave the kids sitting there while I ran out back to get her to come supervise. Then once she came she tried her best to work on gymnastics with the kids, but she is not a coach. The thing that shocks me is that parents just sat back and watched too knowing I was the only coach on the floor! Noone offered to come sit with the kids while I got our office manager or to go get paper towels to clean up the blood or to even call the kids mom.
When there are other coaches there, we always take the extra kids into our classes, it's just hard when you are alone. I think that's where our planning needs to start with not leaving just one person there!

 

[gym law mom]

I know alot of gyms now have a no coach alone policy. Many require that if there is a coach in the building for a class that there be another coach around---just for situations like this.

While it would have been great to have a parent come forward and help you, they may have been shocked also and didn't know what to do. I know it tough to keep calm and keep the child thats injured calm, but you can always just ask loudly for someone to come help you.

 

[gymnastbeth]

We had a girl seriously injure herself, and an ambulance had to come. One of the younger rec coaches took us into the preschool gym and played games with us to try and lighten the mood. It was more for the younger girls, because they really didn't know what was happening. Some of us got things for the girl, like water, a mat "pillow" her sweatshirt, etc.

 

[gymgurl]

Well for us it isn't really a problem simply because we are all older and can pretty much look after ourselves while coach is off doing something but i remember one time during our annual gymnastics display we were warming up tumble rows on the top tumble stip and a girl fell on her neck and we were all running around lucky there were lots of coaches and only a few people who were getting ice for her etc were allowed near her. It was handled really well generally.