007.01.23 Ark. Code R. 003

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 10, October, 2024

Rule 007.01.23-003 - Rules Pertaining to Youth Injury Mitigation and Information Courses for Athletics Personnel and Coaches

SECTION I- Authority

The following rules have been hereby promulgated pursuant to Act 642 of 2023, the "Coach Safely Act."

SECTION II- Purpose

The purpose of these rules is to ensure any association, as defined in Section III - Definitions (1), that sponsors or conducts sports training or high-risk youth athletic activities for children aged fourteen (14) and younger requires all coaches and athletics personnel to complete an online or residence courses approved by the Arkansas Department of Health.

SECTION III- Definitions

As used in this section:

(1) "Association" means an organization that administers or conducts high-risk youth athletic activities on property that is owned, leased, managed, or maintained by the state, an agent of the state, or a political subdivision of the state

(2) "Athletics personnel" means athletic directors and other individuals actively involved in organizing, training, or coaching athletic activities for individuals who are fourteen (14) years of age or younger

(3) "Coach" means any individual, whether paid, unpaid, volunteer, or interim, who has been approved by an association to organize, train, or supervise a youth athlete or team of youth athletes.

a. "Coach" may include without limitation an individual selected by a youth athlete or a team of youth athletes who has not been approved by an association if the individual approved by an association is unavailable

(4) "High-risk youth athletic activities" means any organized sport in which there is a significant possibility for a youth athlete to sustain a serious physical injury, including without limitation the sports of football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, ice or field hockey, cheerleading, and lacrosse

(5) "Residence course" means a course in which the athletic personnel or coach goes to an institutional campus or instructional site as opposed to a course where the athletic personnel or coach completes the course online.

(6) "Youth athlete" means an individual who is fourteen (14) years of age or younger and participates in an organized sport.

SECTION IV- Training Requirements

(1) Any Youth Injury Mitigation and Information Course described under this section shall provide information and awareness of actions and measures that may be used to decrease the likelihood that a youth athlete will sustain a serious injury while engaged or participating in a high-risk youth athletic activity that includes the following subjects, without limitation:

a. Emergency Preparedness, planning, and rehearsal for traumatic injuries;

b. Concussions and head trauma;

c. Heat and extreme weather-related injury familiarization;

d. Physical conditioning and training equipment usage; and

e. Heart defects and abnormalities leading to sudden cardiac death.

(2) Athletic personnel and coaches that are required to take a course on Youth Injury Mitigation and Information shall complete the course within thirty (30) days of becoming actively engaged in or serving as a part of the athletics personnel or coaching staff for an association.

(3) Training on the course on Youth Injury Mitigation and Information is an annual requirement to be completed no later than the anniversary of the date on which the individual became actively engaged in serving as athletic personnel or coach for an association.

SECTION V- Approved Courses

(1) The approved course provider list is located on the Coach Safely section of the Arkansas Department of Health website: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov.

(2) Copies of the approved course provider list may also be obtained by contacting the Arkansas Department of Health Substance Misuse and Injury Prevention program:

Phone: 501-671-1449

Mailing Address: 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 10, Little Rock, AR 72205

Email Address: ADH.injuryprevention@arkansas.gov

(3) To request review and approval of a course, contact the Arkansas Department of Health Substance Misuse and Injury Prevention program:

Phone: 501-671-1449

Mailing Address: 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 10, Little Rock, AR 72205

Email Address: ADH.injuryprevention@arkansas.gov

SECTION VI- Record Keeping Requirements

An association that conducts a high-risk youth athletic activity or event that requires a coach or an athletics personnel member to complete a Youth Injury Mitigation and Information Course shall maintain a record of individual course completion for as long as that individual serves as athletic personnel or coach for the association.

SECTION VII- Exemption

(1) The Youth Injury Mitigation and Information training requirement does not apply to the following individuals:

a. A licensed teacher with a coaching endorsement on the licensed teacher's teaching license.

b. A licensed teacher who completes the Arkansas Activities Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations coaching endorsement program

c. A registered volunteer under the Arkansas Registered Volunteers Program Act, Ark Code Aimotated § 6-22-101 et seq., who completes the Arkansas Activities Association and National Federation of State High School Associations coaching endorsement program.

(2) All licensed and certified athletic trainers, doctors, nurses, first responders, and healthcare professionals with acute traumatic life support training are exempt from the Youth Injury Mitigation and Information course requirement.

CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that the foregoing Rules pertaining to the Youth Injury Mitigation and Information Courses for Athletics Persormel and Coaches were duly adopted by the Arkansas State Board of Health on the 27th day of July, 2023.

007.01.23 Ark. Code R. 003

Adopted by Arkansas Register Volume 49, Number 01, Effective 12/28/2023