Book review: A coach's guide to the care and prevention of athletic injuries

Experiencing the occasional ache or pain is quite common for anyone who plays sports or engages regularly in some form of recreational outdoor physical activity. However, it becomes a matter of concern when the injury causes acute pain and discomfort, inhibits mobility, prevents one from carrying out normal day-to-day activities and forces one to take an involuntary break from a previously enjoyable sporting activity.

All rights reserved, Human Kinetics, 2008

This is an invaluable handbook for coaches, personal trainers, health facilitators and fitness instructors who may be called upon as the first responder to administer first aid to injured athletes, while waiting for medically certified professionals to arrive. People who actively participate in leisure and competitive sports on a regular basis will also benefit from reading this instructional guide. Through this text, readers will gain a basic understanding of sports injuries, be able to recognise common sports injuries and render the appropriate treatment.

The first section of this book provides guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of a sports first aider and the preparations and pre-planning needed to minimise the risks of athletes getting injured.

The basics of sport first aid is covered in section 2 of the book, addressing issues such as injury assessment procedures, first aid for life-threatening conditions and guidelines on how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator.

First aid for over 110 specific injuries and illness are described in section 3 of the book, covering conditions such as respiratory emergencies and illnesses, head and spine injuries, musculoskeletal injuries and face, scalp and skin problems.

This book is an accompanying text to the Sport First Aid course developed by the American Sport Education Program but can be used on its own by sports professionals to help ensure a safe sport environment for anyone who participates in sports recreationally or competitively.

You can check the availability of the book at: http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/

Written by Sharon Teng
Reference Librarian (Reference & Research Services)
National Library Singapore

Reference Point Service

Have a reference enquiry to ask?

You can ask for assistance in identifying and using appropriate printed and electronic resources to meet your information needs. The reference librarians at the National Library will provide answers to queries, suggest search strategies and guide you to relevant and useful resources.

Website: www.nl.sg | ReferencePoint

Email: ref@nlb.gov.sg

SMS: 9178 7792

Fax: 6332 3248