MINUTES OF THE
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE
ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
COMMITTEE ON
COMPETITIVE SAFEGUARDS AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF SPORTS
Participants:
Lauren Costello,
Kimberly Harmon,
Donald Kaverman,
Jerry Koloskie,
Michael Krauss,
Robin Meiggs,
Matthew Mitten,
Frank Pettrone,
Margot Putukian,
Rochel Rittgers,
Gary Skrinar,
Michael Storey,
Laurie Turner,
Elaina Wasmus, New York Institute
of Technology
Jerry Weber,
Connee Zotos,
David Klossner, NCAA
Cindy McKinney, NCAA
Mary Wilfert, NCAA
Committee members Jerry Diehl, National Federation of
State High School Associations; Hannah
England,
Guests Michelle Dorsey, Frank
Uryasz and Andrea Wickerham, The National Center for Drug Free Sport; Chris
Carr, Methodist Sports Medicine Center;
Elsa Cole, Randy Dick, Ellen
Ferris, Heather Perry and John Williams, NCAA, 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.]
Sunday, December 12
The meeting was
called to order at
1. Opening
Remarks. Mr. Mitten welcomed
the committee and guests. The
Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS)
thanked Connee Zotos, outgoing Division III Management Council Representative,
for her service to the committee.
2. Committee Staffing Needs. It was noted that four vacancies will need to be filled for committee service commencing in September 2005. The four are: Female Athletic Trainer; Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist; Drug-Testing Specialist; and Sports Law Expert.
3. Approval of Previous Minutes.
It was VOTED
“That
the minutes of the
4. NCAA
Governance Actions and Issues.
The committee reviewed relevant actions from the NCAA Executive
Committee, the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet, and the NCAA
Divisions II and III Management Councils, and discussed the following:
a. Emphasized the committee desire to continue to approach Division I regarding direct representation on CSMAS. The committee recommended that Linda Martin, the Division I Cabinet Liaison to CSMAS, be invited to the June CSMAS meeting. Kim Harmon offered to work with the Pacific-10 Conference to consider a proposal to forward to the Division I Cabinet that would recommend a permanent seat for a Division I Cabinet or Management Council Representative on CSMAS.
b. Reviewed a plan to enhance communications with appropriate governing bodies and sports rules committees outside of formal CSMAS reports to the Divisional governing bodies.
c.
Reviewed the current proposal to re-establish the
“safety exception” rule in Division III for the sport of gymnastics
and offered comment. Participation
in intercollegiate athletics involves unavoidable exposure to an inherent risk
of injury. The institution is
responsible for establishing a safe environment for its student-athletes to
participate in its intercollegiate athletics program. As noted in the committee’s June
2003 meeting minutes, institutions can take the appropriate safety measures to
assure student-welfare for a facility (i.e., open gym) by providing a
supervisor or staff that is proficient in safety practices for the facilities
they oversee. For any available
activity, there should be someone in the facility who can assist with reducing
the risk of injury. Risk management
should be commensurate to the level of risk involved in activities allowed in
the facility, and restrictions on activities should be commensurate with skill
levels. Any time student-athletes
engage in voluntary workouts at institutional facilities outside of the regular
playing season, they would be subject to the same facilities access and
supervision policies applicable to all students. The committee noted that the current
language within Bylaw 17.13 does allow gymnastics student-athletes to work out
in institutional facilities with appropriate supervision by allowing
institutional autonomy in their risk management plans, or to even participate
in local club sport activities outside of the regular playing season. As with any sport, the student-athletes
should be protected from premature exposure to the full rigors of sports
through an appropriate preseason conditioning program that provides the
athletes with optimal readiness.
5. NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Report. Ms. Wasmus, Division II SAAC representative, identified concerns regarding student-athlete mental health, including depression, eating disorders and stress, and the need to educate coaches about these concerns, as a critical issue for the Division II SAAC. Recent and upcoming efforts to address these issues were noted. The committee received a request from SAAC to provide a report including recommendations and model programs to the July SAAC meeting. Connee Zotos also noted that NACWAA would be interested in hearing more on this issue. In addition, Ms. Wasmus expressed interest in pursuing the implementation of the National College Health Assessment with student-athletes.
6. Outreach. The committee heard reports from members who represent the following societies: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM); National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA); National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA); National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA); American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM); American College Health Association (ACHA); National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS); the Joint Commission on Sports Medicine and Science; and the Female Athlete Triad Coalition. Matt Mitten will report in at the June meeting from a newly formi