The rules pertaining to Exertional Heat Illness were adopted by AAA specifically for coaches of athletics and competitive dance/cheer, however, individual school districts may extend requirements to others who work with students outdoors including those with sponsor rather than coach status.

This is what was adopted by the AAA Board of Directors at the Summer Workshop in June.  Everything is on their web site, www.ahsaa.org. 

You might want to look at the following documents, have them printed off and in a folder as an Emergency Action Plan even if your school does not require it at this time.  All of them may be found on the web site by clicking on SPORTS MEDICINE on the home page of www.ahsaa.org.  Your familiarity with the procedures could save a student’s life.

AAA Exertional Heat Illness – this is a PowerPoint of the heat illness training but coaches cannot just view the PowerPoint and get credit for the training

Emergency Action Plan

Sports Medicine Guidelines

Other things of interest to band directors may be found on the Sports Medicine page.

PRE-SEASON FOOTBALL REGULATIONS – The Board unanimously adopted the following pre-season football regulations.  (Motion:  Loyd/Holman, 17-0)

1.    Football practice may begin on Monday of week #5.

2.    Schools cannot have consecutive days of “two-a-day” practices.

3.    Three days of conditioning with only football helmets and shorts are mandatory before full pads are worn.

4.    Thursday of week #5 is the first permissible practice with full equipment.

5.    Student athletes shall not engage in more than three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted.

6.    Student athletes shall not engage in more than five hours of practice activities on those days when more than one practice is conducted.

7.    The maximum length of any single practice session is three hours.

8.    On days when more than one practice is conducted, there shall be, at a minimum, one hour of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice and the beginning of the next practice.

When determining how to count time spent as “practice activities” please consult the following chart:

No activities (including meetings, weight training, and film study) can occur during the one hour rest/recovery time between the end of one practice and the beginning of the next practice (on days when more than one practice is scheduled).  This time is exclusively for students to rest/recover for the following practice session.

SPORTS MEDICINE REQUIREMENTS – The Board unanimously adopted the following sports medicine requirements.  (Motion:  Loyd/McLaughlin, 17-0)

1.    Each member school must develop Emergency Action Plans for each individual athletic venue. The Emergency Action Plans should be reviewed each year with staff and local EMS provider. The AAA will create a guide entitled, “Athletic Healthcare Plans: Emergency Preparedness & Management for Arkansas Secondary School Athletics.”  The guide will help member schools create and implement Emergency Action Plans.

2.    Every three years, all coaches of member schools are required to receive training on concussion, heat illness, and MRSA. The AAA will create the research based on-line professional development sessions. The training will be created over a three year period: year 1 – heat illness and concussions, year 2 – MRSA.

3.    Each member school football team will be required to conduct a preseason meeting with parents and students to review how to identify and treat heat illness. The AAA will create a short, informative, and research-based training program for member schools to utilize.