JOINT RECOMMENDATION FROM A WORKING
SUBCOMMITTEE
TO STUDY ISSUES RELATED TO OUT-OF-SEASON
CONDITIONING WORKOUTS
During
its February 1 meeting, the NCAA Division I Football Study Oversight Committee
conducted a panel discussion related to student-athlete welfare issues. After discussing the information
obtained from the panelists, the committee requested that the NCAA Division I
Football Issues Committee address health and safety issues related to
out-of-season conditioning. The
football issues committee met in late February and agreed to establish a
working subcommittee to develop recommendations, effective for the 2002 summer
if possible. The working subcommittee
was comprised of representatives from the Football Issues Committee and the
NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport,
student-athletes, the Executive Director of the American Football Coaches
Association and legal counsel including the following individuals:
Mike
Aguirre, Arizona State University, student-athlete
Bobby
Darnell, Baylor University, student-athlete
DeLoss
Dodds, University of Texas, NCAA Division I Football Issues Committee
Donnie
Duncan, Big 12 Conference, NCAA Division I Football Rules Committee
Steve
Peterson, University of Pittsburgh, NCAA Division I Football Issues Committee
Bryan
Smith, University of North Carolina, NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards
and Medical Aspects of Sport
Grant
Teaff, American Football Coaches Association
Joe
Tiller, Purdue University, head football coach
Jerry
Weber, University of Nebraska, head athletic trainer
The following are the recommendations
submitted by the working subcommittee:
1. ACTION ITEMS.
a. Educational
Initiative.
(1) Recommendation. That
the NCAA Division I Board of Directors conduct an educational campaign to
heighten awareness of issues surrounding out-of-season conditioning in the
sport of football.
(2) Rationale. In
the last two years, three NCAA football student-athletes have died while
participating in out-of-season conditioning workouts. The proposed educational initiative is designed to expand
the Association’s current educational efforts, broaden the target audience and
increase awareness of institutional responsibility for protecting the health of
and providing a safe environment for student-athletes participating in
out-of-season conditioning sessions.
Two important concepts form the foundation of this
initiative. First, understanding
the potential impact of nutritional supplements, medications/drugs, existing
medical conditions, acclimatization, hydration and clothing/equipment on
student-
athletes
participating in any strenuous workout.
Second, emphasizing the presence of an individual at each conditioning
session, other than the individual conducting the workout, with the unchallengeable
authority to cancel or modify the workout for the individual student-athlete or
the team as appropriate. The proposed educational initiative expands
current educational efforts by targeting a broader audience and including chief
executive officer involvement.
b. Involvement of
Prospective Student-Athletes in Voluntary Summer Conditioning Programs.
(1) Recommendation. That, for the 2002 summer, emergency
legislation be adopted to permit prospective student-athletes who have signed
National Letters of Intent (NLI) in the sport of football to engage in
voluntary summer workouts conducted by an institution’s strength and
conditioning coach with department-wide duties. Further, that institutions be permitted to finance medical
expenses (including rehabilitation and physical therapy expenses) for a
prospect who sustains an injury while participating in the aforementioned
voluntary summer conditioning activities that are conducted by an institution’s
strength and conditioning coach with department-wide duties.
(2) Rationale. Current legislation permits prospects
who have signed an NLI to engage in voluntary workouts and conditioning
activities on the institution’s campus during the summer prior to initial
collegiate enrollment, but restricts the involvement of strength coaches to
supervising the prospect for safety purposes only. However, strength coaches are currently permitted to conduct
the summer voluntary workouts of student-athletes. Allowing prospective student-athletes who have signed an NLI
in football the same opportunity to participate in voluntary workouts conducted
by strength coaches with their future teammates will ensure consistency in the
involvement of strength coaches with prospects and student-athletes and provide
such prospects the same opportunity to get acclimated to the weather as
returning student-athletes.
Current injury data shows that football has a significantly higher
percentage of time lost as a result of heat illness than other fall sports. The
requirement that the workouts be voluntary would continue to exist as would the
recommendation that institutions have an individual present at the workouts
(other than the individual conducting the workout) who possesses the
unchallengeable authority to cancel or modify the workout for the individual
student-athlete or the team as appropriate. Further, allowing institutions to finance the medical
expenses of prospects involved in such activities helps ensure the welfare of
the prospective student-athletes involved in the workouts. The recommendation is for a one-year
pilot program. Ongoing enhancements
to injury data collection methods should allow for proper assessment of
proposed changes within two to three years.
2. INFORMATIONAL
ITEM.
Additional
Recommendations will be formulated over the next year. The working subcommittee will continue its review of issues
related to out-of-season workouts with the goal of providing additional recommendations
for the 2002 fall NCAA Division I Management Council and Board meetings. The subcommittee will conduct an
in-person meeting in late spring or early summer to review alternative models
designed to address concerns surrounding out-of-season workouts. Additional in-person meetings and
telephone conferences will be scheduled as necessary to receive feedback on the
subcommittee’s preferred model from relevant entities within the governance
structure. The subcommittee anticipates
implementation of the additional recommendations prior to the summer of
2003.