Northborough Baseball & Softball ASAP - A Safety Awareness Program 2014

1. Northborough Baseball & SoftballASAP - A Safety Awareness Program 2014

2. Agenda • Mike Hodge and Rob Theve • Program Safety – goals • Requirements of ASAP (examples) • Emergency contacts • Cori forms • How to fill out accident report • Weather • General Note Keeping on Safety • Comments/Questions • http://www.northborobaseballsoftball.org • DOCUMENTS: look for in ASAP plan/presentation

3. Board Members

4. ASAP Program • All league safety plan materials must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2014 to be eligible for any of the awards. • Leagues working toward the District Incentive must have all requirements received at and approved by Little League International no later than March 13, 2014. • Northborough ASAP plan accepted on Feb 15, 2014

5. ASAP Program • SAFETY OFFICER: Jason Marchese • OBJECTIVE: • Providing a safe environment for the children and families of Northboroto participate in youth baseball. • Fostering the ideals of good sportsmanship, team spirit, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for one another and for authority. • Developing the attributes and meeting the challenges of becoming a better athlete and team player, while at all times focusing on making this experience an enjoyable one that the players and families will remember for a life time.

6. Requirements for ASAP Plan ASAP Program 1. Have an active Safety Officer -Jason Marchese, marchejn@hotmail.com 508-667-2413 2. Publishand distribute safety manual -Paper copies(fields/concession stands) -Web site – Documents -Electronic email out pdf file.

7. Requirements for ASAP Plan ASAP Program 3. Post, distribute emergency numbers -Every field -Emergency – 911 -Northborough Police - 508-393-1515 (call this number in the event of an emergency first) -The two closest hospitals to our facilities are Marlboro Hospital in Marlboro and UMASS Medical Center in Worcester.

8. Requirements for ASAP Plan ASAP Program 4. Check volunteers on National SOR • To Paul Blanchard

9. Requirements for ASAP Plan ASAP Program 5. Provide fundamentals training Coaching Clinic: -Big Al’s Clinic: Sunday April 13, 2014 -annual safety meeting 6. Require field inspections before use 7. Equipment checks -Throughout the seasons...

10. Requirements for ASAP Plan (cont.) ASAP Program 8. Complete annual Facility Survey 9. Use concession stand procedures 10. Regularly inspect and replace equipment as needed 11. Have prompt accident reporting 12. Require first-aid kits at events 13. Enforce all Little League Rules 14. Qualified Safety Plan Registration form 15. Player and Coach/Manager Data Mandatory in 2014

11. 11. Have prompt accident reporting (in ASAP plan) • -Keeping the First Aid Log. This log will list where accidents and injuries are occurring, to whom, in which divisions (senior, major, minor, farm, tee ball), at what times, under what supervision. • http://www.northborobaseballsoftball.org • DOCUMENTS: look for in ASAP plan and Safety presentation.

12. Team Safety Officer’s Responsibilities(TSO or Manager): • The TSO/Manager will fill out the NBA Accident Investigation Form and submit it to the NBA Safety Officer within 24 hours of the incident. If the team does not have a safety officer, then the team manager will be responsible for filling out the form and turning it in to the NBA Safety Officer. • NBA Safety Officer’s Responsibilities: • Within 24 hours of receiving the NBA Accident Investigation Form, the NBA Safety Officer will contact the injured party or the party’s parents • This is a TSO or managers decision, it does not have to be driven by parents. • Notify parents if their child has been injured no matter how small or insignificant the injury is. There are no exceptions to this rule. This protects you and Northborough Baseball.

13. Weather RAIN: If it begins to rain: 1. Evaluate the strength of the rain. It is a light drizzle or is it pouring? 2. Determine the direction in which the storm is moving. 3. Evaluate the playing field as it becomes more and more saturated. 4. Stop practice if the playing conditions become unsafe – use common sense. If playing a game, consult with the other manager and the umpire to formulate a decision. • Smart phones: • http://www.weather.gov/subscribe • (Apps/texts/emails alerts on severe weather)

14. LIGHTNING: The average lightning stroke is 5-6 miles long with up to 30 million volts at 100,000 amps flow in less than a tenth of a second. The average thunderstorm is 6-10 miles wide and moves at a rate of 25 miles per hour. Once the leading edge of a thunderstorm approaches to within 10 miles, you are at immediate risk due to the possibility of lightning strokes coming from the storm’s overhanging anvil cloud. This fact is the reason that many lightning deaths and injuries occur with clear skies overhead. On average, the thunder from a lightning stroke can only be heard over a distance of 3-4 miles, depending on terrain, humidity and background noise around you. By the time you can hear the thunder, the storm has already approached to within 3-4 miles! The sudden cold wind that many people use to gauge the approach of a thunderstorm is the result of downdrafts and usually extends less than 3 miles from the storm’s leading edge. By the time you feel the wind; the storm can be less than 3 miles away!

15. If you can HEAR, SEE OR FEEL A THUNDERSTORM: • 1.Suspend all games and practices immediately. • 2. Get players to walk, not run, to their parent’s or designated driver’s car and wait for your decision on whether or not to continue the game or practice. Stay away from metal, including fencing and bleachers. Get kids off field (not in dugouts) into vehicles or a permanent structure. Do not hold metal bats. • 3. Do Not resume baseball activities until 30 minutes after the last thunder was heard or evidence of lightning. (LITLLE League rule!) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swLkOLgZ02E

16. Official NYSA and Little League policy on thunder/lightning

17. HOT WEATHER: • Precautions must be taken in order to make sure the players on your team do not dehydrate or hyperventilate. • Suggest players take drinks of water when coming on and going off the field between innings. • If a player looks distressed while standing in the hot sun, substitute for that player and get him/her into the shade of the dugout A.S.A.P. • If a player should collapse as a result of heat exhaustion, call 9-1-1 immediately. Northborough Police - 508-393-1515 • Get the player to drink water and use the instant ice bags supplied in your First Aid kit to cool him/her down until the emergency medical team arrives.

18. General Note keeping: • Proper equipment always, ex: catchers equipment at all time... • First-aid kits are located at each field. Ice pack stocks. Cabinet at every field that has (hard copy of ASAP manual, emergency numbers, first aid kits and ice packs). Checked through year. • Notify parents if their child has been injured no matter how small or insignificant the injury is. There are no exceptions to this rule. This protects you and Northborough Baseball Assoc. • Children should not be encouraged to “play through pain.” Pain is a warning sign of injury. Ignoring it can lead to greater injury. • http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/online_training.html • Online concussion – takes 20 minutes.

19. Education & Training Free Online Resources www.LittleLeagueCoach.org www.LittleLeagueUmpire.org • Other Educational Resources • Little League Coaches Toolkit • Big Al Training Manuals • PCA Pieces • Coaches Box eNewsletter

20. SAFETY FIRST! BE ALERT! CHECK PLAYING FIELD FOR HAZARDS PLAYERS MUST WEAR PROPER EQUIPMENT INSURE EQUIPMENT IS IN GOOD SHAPE MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE BE ORGANIZED KNOW PLAYERS’ LIMITS AND DO NOT EXCEED THEM MAKE IT FUN!!