ssss minutes

MINUTES OF THE

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

SPORTS SCIENCES SAFETY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON

COMPETITIVE SAFEGUARDS AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF SPORTS

NCAA

December 2-4, 2001

Indianapolis, Indiana

Participants:

Amy Barr, Eastern Illinois University

Jerry L. Diehl, National Federation of State High School Associations

Letha Y. Griffin, Georgia State University

Melinda L. Millard-Stafford, Georgia Institute of Technology

Nicole Porter, Shippensburg University

Brian J. Sharkey, University of Montana, chair

Jerry Weber, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Randall W. Dick, NCAA

Cindy D. Brauck, Missouri Western State College; Matt Mitten, Marquette University; and Connee Zotos, Drew University, were not able to attend the meeting.

Bryan Smith, Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) committee chair; Rochel Rittgers, Augustana College (Illinois); Lauren Costello, Princeton University; Gary Green, University of California-Los Angeles; Pam Gill-Fisher, University of California-Davis; Rosie Stallman, NCAA director of education services, Jeff Cambell and Tony Forma, NCAA finance & information services staff; and Elsa Cole, NCAA general counsel, were in attendance for portions of the meeting.

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated “sense of the meeting”) in accordance with NCAA policy regarding minutes of all Association entities. While certain items on the committee’s agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

Monday, December 3

The meeting was called to order at 9:15 a.m. by the chair, Bryan Sharkey. All members present as noted above.

1. Previous Minutes.

It was VOTED

“That the minutes from the subcommittee’s June 15-16, 2001, meeting be approved as distributed.”

2. Women’s Lacrosse Eye Protection. The subcommittee reviewed the August 28, 2001 minutes of the Protective Eyewear Project Team and noted the following:

a. The appointment of Nancy Burke as project team chair.

b. The consensus approval of eye protection specifications.

c. The consensus endorsement of United States Lacrosse involvement.

d. The identification of cardable fouls and shoulder, head and face injuries as appropriate measures of risky play.

It was recommended that these issues and the NCAA’s involvement in pilot testing of protective eyewear be emphasized in the December 12, 2001 meeting of the United States Lacrosse Sports Sciences and Safety Committee.

3. Strategic Plan Action Items. The subcommittee briefly reviewed and modified action items in the new strategic plan and recommended a more thorough review and update at the summer meeting.

4. Update on NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS). The subcommittee addressed the following items related to the ISS enhancement project:

a. Identified consultants and prioritized issues for consultants to address.

b. Developed further specifications for NCAA informational technology staff.

c. Discussed role of outside groups and organizations such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association and American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) in the enhancement process.

d. Recommended to have a consultant evaluate the need for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of the ISS. It was suggested that two different approvals might be needed; a general approval for the system (possibly through University of Indiana) for all schools and specific institutional approval prior to allowing researchers access to the ISS data.

5. Sport Specific Issues. The subcommittee reviewed the following specific sport safety issues:

a. Football. The subcommittee supported the full committee recommendation to use the scenario of a fatality in late summer optional workout with possible complications from heat or supplement use as a discussion point at the upcoming NCAA Football Study Oversight Group. The group noted that concerns of voluntary practices and school’s responsibility for medical care and coverage were primary issues. It also recommended that an optimal administrative structure be one that provides oversight of the strength and conditioning coaches by the institution’s director of sports medicine.

b. Wrestling. The subcommittee discussed the following wrestling issues:

(1)Herpes gladitorum infectivity and medical treatment window prior to competition. The subcommittee noted that anecdotal evidence supporting a longer window existed but there was no specific published data on this particular virus. The group agreed to consult with infective disease organizations to see if a consensus recommendation could be issued.

(2)Educational videotape on weight certification being forwarded to all high schools. The subcommittee noted that this effort should be beneficial to the NCAA because incoming freshmen will be more familiar with a weight certification program.

(3)Specifications for body composition measurements that would be appropriate for NCAA weight certification program. The subcommittee made modifications to this document that was developed to assist those interested in providing an alternative to underwater weighing and skinfold calculations as a part of the NCAA wrestling weight certification program.

c. Men’s Lacrosse. The subcommittee reviewed the efforts of United States Lacrosse to address commotio cordis in the sport.

d. Soccer. The subcommittee reviewed a National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) report from a scientific meeting addressing head injuries in soccer. The subcommittee confirmed its stance that current scientific evidence does not justify the mandated use of head protection in the sport.

6. Research Issues.

a. Current and Completed Research. The subcommittee reviewed current and completed research projects including:

(1) Effect of the centerline rule on the incidence of ankle injuries in women’s collegiate volleyball.

(2) Soccer concussion videotape project.

(3) University of Wisconsin hydration project.

b. Identification of new funding for 2001-02. The subcommittee identified topics to support with its sports science research dollars for the 2001-02 fiscal year. Specific recommendations included:

(1) ISS enhancement ($25,000).

(2) University of Georgia sickle cell trait study ($15,000).

(3) University of North Carolina catastrophic injury study ($5,000)

(4) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - AOSSM soccer anterior-cruciate ligament (ACL) prevention study ($5,000).

(5) Wrestling body composition studies at NCAA wrestling championships ($4,000).

(6) Distribution of ACL prevention book to head athletic trainers at each NCAA institution ($5,000).

c. Health and safety issues for emerging sports. The subcommittee reviewed directions from the Division III Management Council regarding assisting the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics in its discussion on women’s rugby.

(1) Specific to rugby, it was recommended that an injury rate be established which would allow comparison to existing sports. The subcommittee also noted that as a collision sport, the medical resources necessary to support the sport probably would be at least comparable to other collision sports.

(2) As a general rule for any emerging sport, the subcommittee recommended that the group submitting the initial proposal of an emerging sport to the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics should include a summary of health and safety issues as a part of its initial report.

7. Educational Issues.

a. NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook. The subcommittee reviewed the 2001-02 handbook and took the following actions:

(1) Recommended modifications for the next edition, including adding a reference to health and safety legislation in an appendix, using NCAA health and safety posters as visuals and providing a better reference to the NCAA Health and Safety Web site.

(2) Assigned revisions of current guidelines to review in June.

(a) Guideline No. 3C -The Student-Athlete with Sickle Cell Trait. (Randy Eichner and Dr. Smith)

(b) Revision of Guideline 2F - Eating Disorders to focus on optimal performance, nutrition and body image. (Jerry Diehl and Mindy Millard-Stafford)

(d) Guideline 2G Menstrual-Cycle Dysfunction. (Dr. Millard-Stafford)

(e) Guideline 2I Nontherapeutic Drugs. (Gary Green)

(f) Guideline 2O Concussion and Second-Impact Syndrome. (Dr. Smith)

(g) Guideline 4C Use of Trampoline and Minitramp. (Jerry Weber)

(h) Guideline 4E Use of the Head as a Weapon in Football and other Contact Sports. (Letha Griffin)

(i) Guideline 1A Athletic Administration (health insurance). (Dr. Smith)

(j) Guideline 3A Exercise and Pregnancy - forward comments from member institution regarding inappropriate wording to James F. Clapp for review and possible suggestions.

(k) Guideline 2C Heat Illness - Dr. Sharkey to incorporate emphasis from September heat illness press release into guideline.

(l) Guideline 2M Cold Stress - Dr. Sharkey to incorporate new wind-chill chart.

(3) Considered new guidelines.

(a) Pesticides. Recommended American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) statement regarding pesticide use around athletic facilities be included as an article in The NCAA News but not developed into a handbook guideline.

(b) Exercise-induced Asthma. Recommended forwarding the ACSM and soon-to-be developed NFHS guideline on exercise-induced asthma to Dr Smith for development of a draft guideline to be considered at the June meeting.

(4) NFHS handbook. Reviewed NFHS handbook and recommended staff draft a letter recognizing the value and quality of publication to forward to NFHS Executive Director.

(5) Handbook guidelines in other publications. Noted that inherent risk statement and lightning policy from the handbook will be included in relevant NCAA sport rules books starting next year.