1. AED Locations / Procedures

Beth – Wood Baseball has purchased two (2) Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) for the following field locations : Acorn Hill (off of Acorn Hill Road Ext. adjacent to the Woodbridge Transfer Station) and Bethany Community School (Lower Field).  An AED is an electrical device used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore a normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock. 

During the Season, these AED’s will be placed at the following locations at these fields –

1. Acorn Hill – inside the small shed next to the Playground.
2. West River – inside the gang box that is chained to the fence on the road going to the Sports Complex, in-between West River # 1 & 3
3. Bethany Community – inside the shed behind the backstop at the Lower Field.

All Team Managers and Coaches will be thoroughly briefed on the location of these AED’s at each of these fields and will have immediate access to same if required via a key they all will be given.  Signs will be prominently placed to clearly identify their location. 

We anticipate hosting yearly training on the use of AED’s that will be provided to all Coaches in addition to all others interested during the month of March (date to be determined) by certified instructors – we strongly encourage ALL Team Managers / Coaches attend this most important training !!  Refer to the attached Zoll AED Plus Operator’s Guide for further information on these units (click here for a copy).

For a video on the Zoll AED Plus units, click on the below link on You Tube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KIiRBcCTLM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Also refer to the attached You Could Save A Life fact sheet as a guide (click here for a copy).

2. First Aid Kits

First Aid Kits will be fully stocked at the beginning of the year, including several ice packs, and placed in the respective equipment bag for each Team in the League.  If you are in need of replacement supplies (icepacks, band aids, gauze, etc.), please contact B-W President Dwight C. Rowland at bethwoodpres72@gmail.com and / or Jenn Kapo (Modi) at jenniferkapo@gmail.com

3. Written Procedures for Reporting of Injuries

Managers / Coaches are to report ANY and ALL injuries, no matter how slight the injury might be, using the attached Beth – Wood Injury Report Form (click here for a copy).  Copies of these forms will be placed and become a part of the Team’s First Aid Kits.  When use, these forms should be completely filled out with all pertinent information and must be sent via email (scanned if possible) to B-W President Dwight C. Rowland at bethwoodpres72@gmail.com and Jenn Kapo (Modi) at jenniferkapo@gmail.com within 48 hours of the incident.  If an injury is deemed severe enough that a 911 call is made for the assistance of a Medic, please notify Dwight C. Rowland immediately at 203-215-0266. 

If anyone gets stung by a bee(s), refer to the link below for guidelines how to treat bee stings.  Managers / Coaches should ask if the person is allergic and / or has had an adverse reaction when stung by a bee in the past. 

http://firstaid.about.com/od/heatcoldexposure/ht/07_bee_sting.htm

If the injury is to the head area, this could be a concussion and should be treated with the utmost caution.  If you believe a Player or other might have suffered a concussion, please refer to the Concussion information documentation that Beth – Wood assembled, along with pertinent fact sheets for Coaches, Parents and Players referenced in same (this is now specifically included as a separate link under Forms & Documents on our website Home Page). 

IMPORTANT : If there is an injury to a Player and he / she is referred to a physician, that Player will NOT be allowed back on to the ballfield until the Team Manager receives a written note from the physician releasing that Player to participate in full baseball activities without restrictions.

4. Thunderstorm and Lightning Policy

In the event of an impending severe Thunderstorm watch, especially if games have not been called and Teams have gone to their respective fields, Managers / Coaches are to pay close attention in case weather conditions deteriorate severely.  Refer to the attached Coach’s and Sport’s Officials Guide to Lightning Safety (click here for a copy) and Babe Ruth – Lightning Safety (click here for a copy), keep these with you at all times and share a copy with the Parents on your Teams at the start of the season – you are instructed to follow these guidelines as a basic rule.

Should lightning become visible anywhere in the sky / vicinity, Managers / Coaches are to IMMEDIATELY halt play of the game and ask that all Players and Spectators seek safe refuge.  

5. On Deck Batters and Dugout Protocol

Due to the fact that there are no enclosed safe spaces for on-deck swinging, there will be NO on-deck circle / batters at any of the fields with the exception of the enclosed bullpens at Acorn Hill # 1 & 2.  On-deck Batters at Acorn Hill may swing in the bullpen with the gate closed provided there are no other players in the pen area. 

Managers and Coaches are to ensure that all players are and MUST remain in the designated dugout or bench areas whether their Team is at-bat or in the field.  Players should not be occupying / playing alongside, behind and / or out of the bench / dugout areas under any circumstances.  Refer to the attached Don’t Swing Poster (click here for a copy) that clearly illustrates this requirement – make sure our Players, as well as Spectators and siblings, are out of harm’s way !!

6. Unsafe Conditions

Managers and Coaches should report any unsafe field conditions they might see IMMEDIATELY to B-W President Dwight C. Rowland at bethwoodpres72@gmail.com (203-215-0266) so WE can be quickly reviewed and addressed to alleviate the concern.  This would include but not be limited to problems with fencing, bases, bees and / or any other perceived issue that could cause a safety threat to our Players or Spectators.  Refer to the attached Hey Coach Safety sheet (click here for a copy) outlining specific guidelines that we ask each Manager / Coach to follow before every game or practice.

7. Safety/First Aid

Refer to the attached Prevention and Emergency Management of Youth Baseball & Softball Injuries (click here for a copy) that Dr. Andre Sofair shared with us during a seminar he gave back in 2009 with Gary Austin (who focused on proper conditioning and warm ups).  It covers many types of Baseball / Softball injuries and contains some great tips how to deal with them should they ever occur. 

Also attached is a Conditioning Program for Baseball Pitchers (click here for a copy) which provides guidelines and information for developing a proper conditioning program, from Youth up to College pitchers.

Beth – Wood Baseball will work to establish a yearly Managers / Coaches Seminar with local Medical Professionals to review proper conditioning to prevent injuries as well as to help identify types of injuries should they occur and how to address them.