Rondout Valley Little League: Safety

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RVLL Safety Plan:

Each team has established a core group of parents that will assist in emergencies.  Each team will have 2 or more trained persons deal with First Aid, a 911 contact person, and  1 or 2 handling crowd control, If an emergency occurs during a game or practice your teams safety team will assit the coaches. 

 Please remain calm and stand clear.

http://firstaid.about.com/od/children/qt/09_Commotio_Cordis.htm

Commotio cordis is a Latin term (meaning commotion or disturbance of the heart) that describes sudden cardiac arrest from a blow to the chest. While commotio cordis can happen to anyone, victims are overwhelmingly male and young. Despite the fact that it's very rare, commotio cordis is the leading cause of death in youth baseball. Commotio cordis has also been documented in hockey, lacrosse, karate and has happened at least once from a soccer ball.

How Commotio Cordis Happens

It doesn't take much force to trigger commotio cordis. It's all about timing. After squeezing blood out to the body, the heart resets for the next contraction. If something hits the chest right in front of the heart at just the right moment during that reset phase, the heart can suddenly begin quivering in a condition known as ventricular fibrillation, a cause of cardiac arrest. The victim will instantly pass out and stop breathing.

Researchers have induced commotio cordis fairly consistently by shooting baseballs at pigs timed to just the right moment. The optimum speed for a baseball to cause commotio cordis -- at least in unconscious pigs swinging from special slings -- is about 40 miles per hour, well within throwing speed for many young pitchers. That's just the optimum speed, however, not the only one. In one documented case of commotio cordis, a dad tossed a softball underhand to his 6-year-old at a picnic. The ball glanced off the boy's glove and hit him in the chest, causing cardiac arrest.

Commotio Cordis Treatment: Act Fast

Imagine you're a coach for a little league team. A 12-year-old batter steps up to the plate. The pitcher throws a fastball right down the strike zone. The batter swings and tips it just enough that the ball misses the catcher's glove and hits him in the chest. By the time the umpire yells "Foul!" the catcher is collapsing to the ground. What would you do?

Too often the response to a youth league athlete suddenly collapsing is confusion and hesitation. What should happen is immediate CPR and, if available, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Commotio cordis is the most compelling reason I can think of for coaches and parents to learn CPR and for youth sports fields to own defibrillators. Indeed, commotio cordis is a good reason for players to learn CPR also.

Acting quickly is the key. In 128 cases of commotio cordis documented before September 1, 2001, 25% of those treated immediately survived. Of those victims whose treatment was delayed for any length of time, 3% survived. Only saving 1 out of 4 victims isn't a great statistic, but it's much better than 3 out of a hundred. The good news is that those who survived usually had no brain damage.

Here's what should happen:

1. See a kid collapse after getting hit in the chest
2. Rush to the child and see if he's breathing
3. Order the closest parent or coach to call 911
4. Start CPR -- adult CPR if he's hit puberty or child CPR if not
5. If you have an AED, order someone to get it immediately

If you are alone with the victim, do CPR right away for a minute and then call 911. Or, call 911 on your cell phone and push the speakerphone button, set it down and start CPR. You can talk and push on the chest at the same time. Any time wasted not pushing on the chest is brain damage happening.

Preventing Commotio Cordis

The only proven way to prevent commotio cordis is to eliminate bumps to the chest. Since most of these sports either require chest impact (karate) or there's simply no way to prevent it (baseball, hockey and lacrosse), the only option is to find ways to make the impacts less forceful.

Experts have suggested using chest protectors, but so far none of the commercially available chest protectors has been shown to work. Until somebody creates a model that actually protects kids, I don't think chest protectors are worth the money or the discomfort to the players.

Safety baseballs do seem to reduce the likelihood of commotio cordis in studies, although there are some documented cases involving softer baseballs marketed for safety causing commotio cordis. Personally, I think softer baseballs for the little kids makes sense, but the older kids will have to learn to play with regulation baseballs sooner or later.

In my opinion, preventing deaths from commotio cordis is all about responding quickly and appropriately if it happens. Don't let your kid play for a team or a league that doesn't require CPR training for all of its coaches. Take a CPR class yourself, and make sure you get AED training as well. Don't let the instructor gloss over the AED training, either. Becoming familiar with the tool is the best way to use it correctly when the time comes.

Commotio cordis is scary, but it is very rare. Don't let such an unlikely event keep you from encouraging your kids to be active and competitive. If you see commotio cordis happen, to your child or to anyone else's, act immediately and prevent it from taking even one more young life.

Commotio cordis is a Latin term (meaning commotion or disturbance of the heart) that describes sudden cardiac arrest from a blow to the chest. While commotio cordis can happen to anyone, victims are overwhelmingly male and young. Despite the fact that it's very rare, commotio cordis is the leading cause of death in youth baseball. Commotio cordis has also been documented in hockey, lacrosse, karate and has happened at least once from a soccer ball.

How Commotio Cordis Happens

It doesn't take much force to trigger commotio cordis. It's all about timing. After squeezing blood out to the body, the heart resets for the next contraction. If something hits the chest right in front of the heart at just the right moment during that reset phase, the heart can suddenly begin quivering in a condition known as ventricular fibrillation, a cause of cardiac arrest. The victim will instantly pass out and stop breathing.

Researchers have induced commotio cordis fairly consistently by shooting baseballs at pigs timed to just the right moment. The optimum speed for a baseball to cause commotio cordis -- at least in unconscious pigs swinging from special slings -- is about 40 miles per hour, well within throwing speed for many young pitchers. That's just the optimum speed, however, not the only one. In one documented case of commotio cordis, a dad tossed a softball underhand to his 6-year-old at a picnic. The ball glanced off the boy's glove and hit him in the chest, causing cardiac arrest.

Commotio Cordis Treatment: Act Fast

Imagine you're a coach for a little league team. A 12-year-old batter steps up to the plate. The pitcher throws a fastball right down the strike zone. The batter swings and tips it just enough that the ball misses the catcher's glove and hits him in the chest. By the time the umpire yells "Foul!" the catcher is collapsing to the ground. What would you do?

Too often the response to a youth league athlete suddenly collapsing is confusion and hesitation. What should happen is immediate CPR and, if available, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Commotio cordis is the most compelling reason I can think of for coaches and parents to learn CPR and for youth sports fields to own defibrillators. Indeed, commotio cordis is a good reason for players to learn CPR also.

Acting quickly is the key. In 128 cases of commotio cordis documented before September 1, 2001, 25% of those treated immediately survived. Of those victims whose treatment was delayed for any length of time, 3% survived. Only saving 1 out of 4 victims isn't a great statistic, but it's much better than 3 out of a hundred. The good news is that those who survived usually had no brain damage.

Here's what should happen:

1. See a kid collapse after getting hit in the chest
2. Rush to the child and see if he's breathing
3. Order the closest parent or coach to call 911
4. Start CPR -- adult CPR if he's hit puberty or child CPR if not
5. If you have an AED, order someone to get it immediately

If you are alone with the victim, do CPR right away for a minute and then call 911. Or, call 911 on your cell phone and push the speakerphone button, set it down and start CPR. You can talk and push on the chest at the same time. Any time wasted not pushing on the chest is brain damage happening.

Preventing Commotio Cordis

The only proven way to prevent commotio cordis is to eliminate bumps to the chest. Since most of these sports either require chest impact (karate) or there's simply no way to prevent it (baseball, hockey and lacrosse), the only option is to find ways to make the impacts less forceful.

Experts have suggested using chest protectors, but so far none of the commercially available chest protectors has been shown to work. Until somebody creates a model that actually protects kids, I don't think chest protectors are worth the money or the discomfort to the players.

Safety baseballs do seem to reduce the likelihood of commotio cordis in studies, although there are some documented cases involving softer baseballs marketed for safety causing commotio cordis. Personally, I think softer baseballs for the little kids makes sense, but the older kids will have to learn to play with regulation baseballs sooner or later.

In my opinion, preventing deaths from commotio cordis is all about responding quickly and appropriately if it happens. Don't let your kid play for a team or a league that doesn't require CPR training for all of its coaches. Take a CPR class yourself, and make sure you get AED training as well. Don't let the instructor gloss over the AED training, either. Becoming familiar with the tool is the best way to use it correctly when the time comes.

Commotio cordis is scary, but it is very rare. Don't let such an unlikely event keep you from encouraging your kids to be active and competitive. If you see commotio cordis happen, to your child or to anyone else's, act immediately and prevent it from taking even one more young life.

Commotio cordis is a Latin term (meaning commotion or disturbance of the heart) that describes sudden cardiac arrest from a blow to the chest. While commotio cordis can happen to anyone, victims are overwhelmingly male and young. Despite the fact that it's very rare, commotio cordis is the leading cause of death in youth baseball. Commotio cordis has also been documented in hockey, lacrosse, karate and has happened at least once from a soccer ball.

How Commotio Cordis Happens

It doesn't take much force to trigger commotio cordis. It's all about timing. After squeezing blood out to the body, the heart resets for the next contraction. If something hits the chest right in front of the heart at just the right moment during that reset phase, the heart can suddenly begin quivering in a condition known as ventricular fibrillation, a cause of cardiac arrest. The victim will instantly pass out and stop breathing.

Researchers have induced commotio cordis fairly consistently by shooting baseballs at pigs timed to just the right moment. The optimum speed for a baseball to cause commotio cordis -- at least in unconscious pigs swinging from special slings -- is about 40 miles per hour, well within throwing speed for many young pitchers. That's just the optimum speed, however, not the only one. In one documented case of commotio cordis, a dad tossed a softball underhand to his 6-year-old at a picnic. The ball glanced off the boy's glove and hit him in the chest, causing cardiac arrest.

Commotio Cordis Treatment: Act Fast

Imagine you're a coach for a little league team. A 12-year-old batter steps up to the plate. The pitcher throws a fastball right down the strike zone. The batter swings and tips it just enough that the ball misses the catcher's glove and hits him in the chest. By the time the umpire yells "Foul!" the catcher is collapsing to the ground. What would you do?

Too often the response to a youth league athlete suddenly collapsing is confusion and hesitation. What should happen is immediate CPR and, if available, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Commotio cordis is the most compelling reason I can think of for coaches and parents to learn CPR and for youth sports fields to own defibrillators. Indeed, commotio cordis is a good reason for players to learn CPR also.

Acting quickly is the key. In 128 cases of commotio cordis documented before September 1, 2001, 25% of those treated immediately survived. Of those victims whose treatment was delayed for any length of time, 3% survived. Only saving 1 out of 4 victims isn't a great statistic, but it's much better than 3 out of a hundred. The good news is that those who survived usually had no brain damage.

Here's what should happen:

1. See a kid collapse after getting hit in the chest
2. Rush to the child and see if he's breathing
3. Order the closest parent or coach to call 911
4. Start CPR -- adult CPR if he's hit puberty or child CPR if not
5. If you have an AED, order someone to get it immediately

If you are alone with the victim, do CPR right away for a minute and then call 911. Or, call 911 on your cell phone and push the speakerphone button, set it down and start CPR. You can talk and push on the chest at the same time. Any time wasted not pushing on the chest is brain damage happening.

Preventing Commotio Cordis

The only proven way to prevent commotio cordis is to eliminate bumps to the chest. Since most of these sports either require chest impact (karate) or there's simply no way to prevent it (baseball, hockey and lacrosse), the only option is to find ways to make the impacts less forceful.

Experts have suggested using chest protectors, but so far none of the commercially available chest protectors has been shown to work. Until somebody creates a model that actually protects kids, I don't think chest protectors are worth the money or the discomfort to the players.

Safety baseballs do seem to reduce the likelihood of commotio cordis in studies, although there are some documented cases involving softer baseballs marketed for safety causing commotio cordis. Personally, I think softer baseballs for the little kids makes sense, but the older kids will have to learn to play with regulation baseballs sooner or later.

In my opinion, preventing deaths from commotio cordis is all about responding quickly and appropriately if it happens. Don't let your kid play for a team or a league that doesn't require CPR training for all of its coaches. Take a CPR class yourself, and make sure you get AED training as well. Don't let the instructor gloss over the AED training, either. Becoming familiar with the tool is the best way to use it correctly when the time comes.

Commotio cordis is scary, but it is very rare. Don't let such an unlikely event keep you from encouraging your kids to be active and competitive. If you see commotio cordis happen, to your child or to anyone else's, act immediately and prevent it from taking even one more young life.

Batting Helmet (made available by league)  Must be worn in batting cages and when at bat.

 

Lyme Disease and other Tick-borne Diseases

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and local health departments continue to investigate the spread of Lyme disease throughout New York State. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Untreated, the disease can cause a number of health problems. Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stage of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. Since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 95,000 cases have now been confirmed in New York State.

The NYSDOH and local health departments also investigate several other tick-borne diseases, including babesiosis, ehrlichiosis (both human granulocytic anaplasmosis and human monocytic ehrlichiosis) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These tick-borne diseases are most frequently found on Long Island and in the lower Hudson Valley region. The number of cases of these diseases is much smaller in comparison to the cases of Lyme disease but their numbers are also increasing.

http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/lyme/

Personal Protection

There are many different products on the market, with different ingredients, concentrations and effectiveness. The most effective contain DEET, permethrin (only to be applied on clothing), picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. If you decide to use one, be sure to follow label directions and apply repellent carefully.

 Hot, Hazy, Humid Days.....call for some proper preventative care of our children!

 HYDRATE, HDYRATE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Heat-related illness is preventable. One of the methods is to stay hydrated. Proper hydration should occur not only during exercise, but before and after. Approximately 24 hours prior to exercise, individuals (10+ years old) should begin drinking adequate amounts of fluid to promote adequate hydration. The American College of Sports Medicine's 1996 Position Stand, "Exercise and Fluid Replacement" and the Gatorade Sport Science Institute (1997) generally recommend the following: (35, 36)

• Drink at least 20oz two hours before exercise
• Drink 8 oz. 15 minutes before exercise
• Drink 4-8 oz. every 15 minutes during exercise to replace sweat
• Drink 24 oz. for every 1lb of body weight deficit post-activity
• Overall, an individual should drink 10-12 cups (80-96 oz) daily

The thirst response is not a good indicator for re-hydration. In fact, by the time the thirst response is initiated, the need for fluid replacement has become crucial. At this point, an individual has lost essential fluid and electrolytes and is moving toward dehydration. Youth sport participants typically underestimate the amount of fluid they need. In 2006, following a three-year study at the University of Connecticut, it was reported that almost two-thirds of youth soccer players were dehydrated before practice started. This study compelled the US Soccer Federation to develop youth hydration guidelines for coaches and parents

http://www.youthsportsny.org/maintaining-hydration.html

http://www.youthsportsny.org/index.html

 Thunder/Lightening Policy: When lightening or thunder is seen or heard all games/practices must be suspended for 30 minutes of clear weather after last hear/seen

A Sad Tragedy, Please Read.....

A few days ago a 13 year old Little Leaguer in Arizona died from a baseball that hit his chest. The player had attempted to bunt and the pitch hit the child. It is a very tragic story to say the least. I am passing this on not to scare anyone but to educate and offer choices to those parents that may not know. Here is a link to the story. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/06/04/2011-06-04_13yearold_little_leaguer_hayden_walton_dies_after_being_hit_in_the_chest_with_ba.html

There's a hard plastic chest guard. See the link:

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3879796&cid=CSE:GoogleProductSearch

They also make a shirt with a built in heart guard. http://www.markwort.com/

ACCUWEATHER:  http://www.accuweather.com/

NYSPHSAA, New York State Public High School Athletic Assoc has released their recommendations for hear Index procedures. http://nysphsaa.org/safety/pdf/HeatIndexProcedure.pdf

Have pleanty of water for the players, buckets of ice and cold wet towels.  The towels and/or ice placed on the back of neck and forehead will help the player to cool down.

Child Protection Policy http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/asap/2011_ChildProtection_presentation.pdf

All athletes should warm prior to beginning any activity. Coaches are suggested to begin all practices and games with a a dynanic warm up.  Read more about: http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/asap/Michele_Smith_stretching.pdf

 Streching:  http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/asap/WarmUpExercises.pdf

Read up on curve balls, catchers fatigue : http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/asap/CurveballsCatchersFatigue.pdf

Basic First Aide Safety Awareness:

Little League International issues a monthly newsletter dedicated strictly to the safety of players and their families. Remeber to come back here to check on the latest safety information. 

January/February 2013

http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/JanuaryFebruary+2013+ASAP.pdf

September/October 2012

http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/September+October+2012+ASAP.pdf

July/August 2012 

http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/May+June+2012+ASAP+Newsletter.pdf

May/June 2012

 http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/May+June+2012+ASAP+Newsletter.pdf

March/April 2012

 http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/March-April+2012+ASAP+Newsletter.pdf

January/ February 2012

http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/JanuaryFebruary+2012+ASAP+Newsletter.pdf

September/October/November 2011

http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/Sept-Oct-Nov2011ASAPNewsletter.pdf

 Little League Bat Regulations:

Little League International has been advised that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has provided official notice that the BBCOR decertification process has been implemented for the Reebok Vector-TLS 33-inch model bat.

Effectively immediately and until notified otherwise, this bat (Reebok Vector-TLS 33-inch length) should be considered non-compliant and subject to Junior, Senior, and Big League Baseball Rules 1.10 and 6.06(d).

It should be noted that the National Federation of State High School Associations has taken similar action.

For more information: http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/baseballbatinfo.htm