Risks and Responsibilities of Coaching Swimming Essay -- Swimming Coac

Risks and Responsibilities of Coaching Swimming Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this paper is to look at the area of risk management with reference to the sport of swimming. There is no doubt that the ability to prevent any types of injury to athletes is of the utmost importance. The safety of the athletes should therefore be the primary concern of both facility managers and coaches. By working together, one would hope, that all unnecessary injuries could be prevented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most severe injuries that can occur is that of a spinal injury. The area of prevention that addresses this issue is that of spinal injury management and it will be looked at more closely later in this paper. Even with all the extra emphasis in this day and age on safety issues, these kinds of injuries are still far too prevalent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1996, Michael Berger and Judith Middleton state that in the United Kingdom, there are around 40,000 children each year that suffer from head injuries. Some of these individuals will have received severe injuries, in that they will have been unconscious for at least 20 minutes and so will most likely have suffered brain damage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sport of swimming has the obvious danger of drowning. There are also potential risks of spinal injuries caused by collisions with the floor of the pool, the walls in the pool and other swimmers. Many other injuries can be the result of a slippery deck or training equipment not correctly stored away. There is also a risk of injury from the chemicals which are present at a pool such as chlorine. Risk Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquatic injury prevention should be part of any facilities risk management program. Risk management involves identifying and reducing dangerous conditions that can cause injuries and financial loss. Thus, the aim of a risk management is in a way a kind of preventative medicine, to tackle the issue of a problem thus ensuring that those kinds of accidents will not occur. There are some that would contend that those individuals that suffer an injury are unfortunate victims of circumstance. Many injuries can be avoided through an understanding of the factors that can cause injuries to occur and then a knowledge of how to go about preventing such situations to occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Bucher and March Krotee (1998) explain that there is an added risk in any physical education exercise as opposed to a ... ...water conditions, many dangers are in and around water.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Risk management in a pool environment is basically concerned with aquatic injury prevention. A highly developed risk management program will substantially reduce the risks of injury. By understanding how injuries are caused, one can better prevent them. Effective communication with patrons is critical for helping to prevent injuries. Through this communication, the patrons can have fun in a safer environment. References American Red Cross (1993). Community First Aid & Safety. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pg. 184) American Red Cross (1993). CPR For The Professional Rescuer. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pg. 10) American Red Cross (1995). Lifeguarding Today. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pp. 44-204) American Red Cross (1988). Safety Training For Swim Coaches. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pg. 26) American Red Cross ( 1992). Swimming & Diving. Mosby Lifeline, St. Louis. (pp. 33-317) Berger, M. & Middleton, J. (1996). Head Injury: Some Consequences For Injured School Pupils, Their Teachers And Schools. The Partnership, Southampton. (pg. 3) Bucher, C.A. & Krotee, M.A. (1998). Management of Physical Educ