CIC Safety & Injury Prevention 5 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most important factor a coach should consider when scheduling two-a-day practices in summer heat?
- Ensuring each session lasts at least 2 hours to maximize conditioning
- Allowing a minimum rest/recovery period between sessions and monitoring heat illness risk (Correct answer)
- Scheduling both sessions during midday to maximize daylight hours
- Requiring athletes to wear full equipment during both sessions from day one
Correct answer: Allowing a minimum rest/recovery period between sessions and monitoring heat illness risk
NFHS guidelines require adequate rest between sessions and acclimatization progressions during summer two-a-days to prevent cumulative heat illness.
Question 2: A swimmer complains of ear pain and discharge after heavy practice weeks. This likely indicates:
- Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) requiring medical evaluation (Correct answer)
- Normal post-practice discomfort that resolves overnight
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction from goggle pressure
- Inner ear concussion from flip-turn impact
Correct answer: Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) requiring medical evaluation
Otitis externa (swimmer's ear) is a common overuse condition in aquatic athletes characterized by ear pain and discharge, requiring evaluation and often antibiotic treatment.
Question 3: Which of the following is the coach's primary legal duty regarding facility safety?
- Personally repairing all equipment deficiencies before each practice
- Conducting regular inspections and promptly reporting hazardous conditions to administration (Correct answer)
- Requiring athletes to sign waivers before using any school facility
- Ensuring athletes purchase personal injury insurance
Correct answer: Conducting regular inspections and promptly reporting hazardous conditions to administration
Coaches have a duty to inspect facilities, identify hazards, and report them through proper channels so that deficiencies can be corrected before athletes are harmed.
Question 4: An athlete with a known bee allergy is stung during an outdoor practice. The first priority after calling 911 is to:
- Offer an antihistamine from the first-aid kit
- Administer the athlete's prescribed epinephrine auto-injector if anaphylaxis symptoms appear (Correct answer)
- Apply a cold pack to the sting site and monitor for 10 minutes
- Have the athlete walk slowly to the school nurse's office
Correct answer: Administer the athlete's prescribed epinephrine auto-injector if anaphylaxis symptoms appear
Anaphylaxis from insect stings requires immediate epinephrine administration; delay increases the risk of airway compromise and death.
Question 5: Which action by a coach MOST contributes to a culture of safe sport and injury reporting?
- Telling athletes that playing through pain builds mental toughness
- Creating an environment where athletes feel safe to report symptoms without fear of losing playing time (Correct answer)
- Keeping injury information confidential even from parents of minor athletes
- Rewarding athletes who continue to compete despite injuries
Correct answer: Creating an environment where athletes feel safe to report symptoms without fear of losing playing time
When athletes fear losing playing time for reporting symptoms, they conceal injuriesâincluding concussionsâleading to worsened outcomes; psychological safety encourages honest reporting.
Question 6: What does 'duty of supervision' mean for an interscholastic coach?
- The obligation to personally treat all athlete injuries
- The legal requirement to provide adequate oversight of athletes in their care during athletic activities (Correct answer)
- The responsibility to diagnose medical conditions during practice
- The duty to report all disciplinary issues to law enforcement
Correct answer: The legal requirement to provide adequate oversight of athletes in their care during athletic activities
Duty of supervision requires coaches to provide adequate oversight that a reasonable, prudent professional would provide to protect athletes from foreseeable harm.
Question 7: An athlete is using a lacrosse stick with a cracked shaft during practice. The coach should:
- Allow use if the crack is small and tape can reinforce it
- Remove the stick from use immediately and replace it with properly maintained equipment (Correct answer)
- Have the athlete use it only for non-contact drills
- Inform the athlete that equipment replacement is their personal responsibility
Correct answer: Remove the stick from use immediately and replace it with properly maintained equipment
Cracked equipment poses a breakage and injury risk; coaches must remove defective equipment from use regardless of severity to meet their duty of care.
CIC Safety & Injury Prevention 5
What is the most important factor a coach should consider when scheduling two-a-day practices in summer heat?