BACKGROUND: Participation in sports places an athlete at risk for injuries, including those that may result in death. Potentially catastrophic injuries and illnesses include severe brain injuries, cervical spine injuries, sudden cardiac arrest, asthma, and heat stroke (Caine, Maffulli, & Caine, 2008; Casa et al., 2012). The sports at highest risk for these potentially deadly injuries and conditions are football, wrestling, gymnastics, and ice hockey (NCCSI). At the youth level these sports present a special concern regarding life threatening injuries as it is considerably rare to have the presence of trained health care professionals on the sideline (Cross et al., 2010). Responsibility for emergency injury care for youth athletes often falls to the coaches and parents present at the games and practices. Although, less than 50% of coaches feel well-trained in sports safety and even fewer are certified in CPR/First Aid (Lininger & Thompson, 2015; Mcgrath, 2012; Mickalide & Hansen, 2012). Also concerning is that parents’ knowledge of catastrophic injuries and risks to their children remains insufficient (Deis, Spiro, Jenkins, Buckles, & Arnold, 2010; Goldhaber, 1993; Mannings, Kalynych, Joseph, Smotherman, & Kraemer, 2014; Stuart, 2005). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the current knowledge of youth football, ice hockey, wrestling, and gymnastics coaches and parents regarding the pre-hospital recognition and care of cervical spine injuries, traumatic brain injuries, sudden cardiac arrest, asthma, and heat illness. METHODS: This study will be surveying coaches and parents of youth athletes ages 6-13 participating in gymnastics, wrestling, ice hockey, and football. Following the informed consent, the survey will ask questions regarding the general knowledge, recognition, initial care and confidence of the coach or parent in caring for asthma, brain injuries, neck/spine injuries, heat illness, and sudden cardiac arrest. in this descriptive study, means, ranges, and standard deviations will be calculated for the overall survey, each individual condition, as well as sub-score for each catastrophic condition regarding the general knowledge, symptom recognition, and treatment questions. Modes will be used to determine the confidence coaches and parents have regarding their knowledge.. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: Data collection is ongoing and the results will be presented at the time of the conference.
