Health & Safety

The Greenbank Football Club has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for all people associated with the clubs activities. In doing so, GFC will take a positive role in educating and increasing the awareness of it’s registered players towards injury prevention and management and relevant health issues.

Background

The promotion of physical activities is an important issue for Australia’s health. Physical activity provides many positive health outcomes, however, increasing physical activity also brings increased risk of injury. Sporting injuries can be a barrier to participation in sport and physical activity. The prevention of these injuries is a key public health issue to be addressed in line with promoting increased physical activity.

Policy

1. General

The provision of safe environments is essential for all participants in club activities. It is therefore necessary that those conducting the activities:

• Recognise the physical and emotional differences between participants.
• Are sensitive to the long and short-term medical conditions of participants.
• Insist that football facilities and equipment are appropriate and safe.
• Insist that participants wear the appropriate protective equipment.
• Create quality-learning environments by encouraging accreditation for coaches.
• Encourage coaches and parents to learn and maintain current first aid qualifications.

2. Physiological Considerations

• General - Warm up and cool down exercises should accompany all football activities. Repetitive training and endurance activities should be avoided, such as long distance running; to ensure that developing skeletal joints and muscles of young players are not injured.
• Body Temperature Regulation - Younger people have a larger skin surface area to body mass ratio than adults. Immature sweat glands are more susceptible to heat loss and/or gain. Training sessions should therefore be no longer than 30 minutes in duration in conditions of extreme temperature (over 30) and /or humidity (over 50%). During matches guidelines set out by Football Queensland should be followed.

3. Fluid

People do not instinctively drink enough fluids to replace the amount generally lost during physical activity. A regular pattern of fluid intake should be encouraged as part of all practise and playing activities. Heat stress and weight loss through dehydration can be extremely dangerous. The GFC recommends that all participants bring their own drink bottles filled with water or mineral replacements to all practise sessions and matches.

4. Stress

People experience stress in sport activities as a consequence of parent, coach and officials’ attitudes and expectations. Adults should not impose unrealistic goals on young participants, but instead offer support and encouragement.

Refer also to the FFA Code of Conduct.

5. Drugs and Sport

The use of drugs does affect sporting performance, general health and well - being. Education about the use/misuse of drugs should be made available to young people in order to develop appropriate attitudes and an understanding of the issues.

6. Nutrition

The nutritional needs of football participants are affected by their level of activity, and correlates to player performance.

7. Sun Exposure

Club Officials recognise the need for sun protection and offer shaded areas at venues and events for both players and spectators. Participants are encouraged to wear protective clothing, appropriate headwear and apply a minimum 15+ sunscreen on exposed skin. Juniors must wear club supplied football caps during games.

8. Medical Considerations

Some people have medical conditions that may be affected by their participation in football. Coaches and officials need to be made aware, and be sensitive to the participants with long term conditions, such as asthma, epilepsy or heart and lung conditions and be able to deal with any emergency. Medical advice should be sought when the condition or fitness or performance of a participant is questioned or when recovery from Illness or injury is in doubt.

9. Facilities and Equipment

Coaches and officials of the GFC should:

• Maintain safe facilities and equipment.
• Adequately supervise participants during training and matches.
• Ensure that protective equipment is available for use during training and matches.
• Insist that protective equipment is fitted correctly.
• Cancel training, practise sessions and competitive matches where there is evidence of unsafe playing conditions.