Basketball Team's First Aid Kit, The

Has this every happened to you as a coach, player or parent? You're at a basketball game and a player gets injured, so you grab the first aid kit. When you open it up, you find a box full of band-aids, gauze and tape in complete disarray.

As a certified athletic trainer in the WNBA, my medical kit not only must have everything in it from a nail file to a blood pressure cuff, but also must be organized. Life-threatening injuries obviously require quick, immediate attention, but even cuts and nosebleeds should be treated quickly.

In the WNBA, a trainer has 20 seconds (measured by the officials) to stop a player's bleeding and return her to the court. If she's still bleeding after 20 seconds, her team has to call a time out or put another player in for her. Saving a time out for later in the game can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing!

Guess where I purchased my current first aid kit, which I use for the Detroit Shock? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't a medical supply company. If you guessed a Pro Bass Shop, you're right! That's right-it's a soft side fishing tackle box converted into a training bag. These types of bags work well because they have plastic containers with dividers, which are great to organize different items.

Whether an injury is major or minor, having a well-equipped and organized first aid kit can make all the difference in the world for the injured athlete, her parents and her coach. Use these guidelines to get your training kit ready before your next practice or game.

Wound Care Items

*Band-Aids

*Gauze

*Peroxide

*Ointment

*Biohazard Kit

*Rubber Gloves

*Blood Buster

Taping and Misc. Supplies

*1 ½ inch Tape

*Heel & Lace Pads

*Pre-wrap

*Scissors

*Sharks (tape cutters)

*Nail clippers

*Finger nail file

Splinting Materials

*Finger Splints

*Ankle Splint

*Arm Sling

*Elastic Bandage

*SAM Splint

Emergency Items

*CPR mask

*Emergency Written Plan

*Emergency Cards for each player.

Eye and Tooth Care

*EyeWash Bottle

*Small Mirror

*Murine Eye Drops

*Contact Solution

*Contact Case

*Tooth Saver Kit

Other Items

*Cold packs

*Hot packs

*Petroleum jelly

Laura Ramus, PT, ATC, is the athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA Champion Detroit Shock. Since 1994, she has also served as the manager of sports medicine for St. John Hospital in Detroit For more information, log onto her Website, www.girlscanjump.com.

Copyright Ashton International Media, Inc. Jun 2004
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