From exciting outdoor field trips to team sports, the start of the winter season ushers in a whole new period of athletics and activities for students. Approximately halfway through the school year, it’s also the perfect time to refresh on protocols and reports. This season, keep these winter sports safety and health tips in mind for your K-12 student athletes.  

Prevent Winter Sports Injuries 

Injury prevention should be a top concern for coaches and health staff year-round. Some high-intensity activities and sports during the winter season include basketball, wrestling, skiing, and more. Contact sports, like hockey, have a higher risk of head injuries and concussions and are very much still prevalent in the winter, as are sprains, strains, and muscle injuries. 

Ensure students are up to date with what concussion and injury symptoms to look out for and provide injury prevention training. Encourage open communication between staff and students, recording and managing all athlete injuries and treatment plans.  

Don’t Skip Warm Up Routines 

When the body is cold, it requires more energy to maintain a normal body temperature. It will pull all energy to keep the core warm, leaving the arms and legs with heat loss. Not only does this make arm and leg muscles more prone to injury, but it can also make them move slower. According to the ACSM, a 14.4° F drop in temperature can lower a muscle’s power output by 31 percent.  

Since cold muscles are more prone to injuries, it’s essential to warm up the body before any exercise. Remind your athletes that warmups are important for their own safety and include them at the beginning of each practice. Start with a dynamic warmup at a slow pace that builds up in speed and intensity. 

Wear Appropriate Gear and Clothing 

For some sports, like hockey, layering and padding up is all part of the sport. For other high school winter sports, such as wrestling, a little more thought needs to go into layering. By wearing layers of clothing, students can more easily regulate their body temperatures. They can remove a layer if they’re ready to play or put on a layer as they wait on the sidelines. 

Keep Hydrated 

It’s easy to quench your thirst in the summer when the sun’s rays are beating down. It can be more difficult to keep hydrated in the winter, even though furnaces and indoor air can dry skin even more than in the summer. Ensure all student athletes drink water before, during, and after all sports activities to stay hydrated and avoid the consequences of dehydration. 

Prepare for Cold and Flu Season 

Winter has an infamous reputation for sniffles, sneezing, and plenty of athlete sick days. Regularly sanitize any equipment and tough areas such as door handles. Adding hand sanitizer stations around the school is also a great way to keep germs low. Ask students to wash their hands or sanitize before practice or gym class.  

It’s also important to refresh the expectations for when a student athlete is sick. Students should stay home when showing cold or flu symptoms — even if the big game is coming up. Encourage masking for those who are sick but still in attendance and consult with health staff to see if your school can provide influenza vaccines.  

Consider Safety to and From Sports Venues 

Winter sports safety begins long before the activity does. As a coach, part of your job is to help your students easily get to and from any venue. Ensure pathways are cleared of ice and snow, and consider holding hands with younger students while walking through icy areas. Adding additional lighting may also be necessary to compensate for the short winter days. 

If your high school athletes are of driving age, consider arranging bus or shuttle transportation or parent carpools so teenagers don’t have to drive in dark winter conditions to practices and games. 

Refresh Winter Sports Safety Tips for Year-round Sports 

While the winter season may be starting for some sports, there are also year-round teams and activities that could use a refresh on safety protocols. Many coaches and staff will touch on health and safety at the beginning of the season as a part of training, but it’s important to bring overall health back to the forefront mid-way through the season as well. 

In addition to chatting with the students, it’s also a good time of year to refresh your first aid kit and review current school safety protocols, such as the school board’s concussion protocol and emergency action plan. Check-in with students to ensure their parental guardian and emergency contact information haven’t changed. 

Stay Safe with Magnus Health 

As you prepare for the season, remember to keep winter sports safety top of mind. Magnus Health makes the administration side of athletics easy to manage, allowing you to easily make records, create treatment notes, diagnose and manage concussions, access emergency information, build recovery plans, and more. Learn more about how you can incorporate Magnus Health into your daily athletics practice.