Georgia Bulldogs Football Forum Message Board and Blog > Sports > Georgia Bulldog Football > Richt, UGA Featured In NCAA Sickle Cell Video |
Georgia Bulldogs Football Forum Message Board and Blog > Sports > Georgia Bulldog Football > Richt, UGA Featured In NCAA Sickle Cell Video |
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Bonjax Administrator
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ATHENS --- Georgia head football coach Mark Richt and video of Bulldog student-athletes play a prominent role in a new NCAA online education video pertaining to the Sickle Cell Trait. The NCAA agreed last year to recommend that schools test all athletes for sickle-cell trait as a result of a legal settlement with the family of Dale Lloyd II, a Rice football player whose 2006 death was linked to the condition. The requirement would take effect for the 2010-11 school year. The video was produced by the NCAA's Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, of which Ron Courson, Director of Sports Medicine for the UGA Athletic Association, is a member. "The newly approved legislation requires all NCAA student-athletes to take blood tests that show whether they are carriers of the sickle-cell trait, provide documentation that they already had the test or opt out of the test by signing a waiver that releases a school from liability," Courson said. "Sickle cell trait is a genetic disorder that can lead to serious health issues and even death when those who have it exercise strenuously. "This is something that we have tested for at Georgia for a number of years and I feel this new legislation is an important step in healthcare for student-athletes nation wide," Courson continued. "By identifying sickle cell trait athletes, we are better equipped to manage their care. In college football alone, eight deaths in the past decade have been linked to the trait. Sickle cell trait athletes may safely participate in sports; however, it is important for everyone to know their status and monitor them closely.² Most cases of Sickle Cell involve African-Americans; however, the condition is possible with Caucasians. In fact, Richt's son, David, has the Sickle Cell Trait. "The more medical information we know about our student-athletes, the better equipped we are to keep them safe," Richt said. "Hopefully, this video will prove to be beneficial in that pursuit." The video is designed to raise awareness of the Sickle Cell Trait and its impact on student-athletes participating in an intense exercise and includes background information regarding prevention of catastrophic events due to the conditioning. Precautionary procedures include year-round strength and conditioning, longer periods of rest and recovery and recognizing the symptoms of Sickle Cell Trait such as muscle cramping, pain, swelling, weakness, difficulty breathing and fatigue. If any of those symptoms occur, it is recommended that workouts be modified. According to Dr. Jeffrey D. Hord of the Akron Children's Hospital, there have been 15 cases of sudden death in collegiate athletics over the past three or four decades due to Sickle Cell Trait. Since 2000, however, seven such deaths have been documented in college football. Former Denver Broncos receiver Rod Smith, who carries the Sickle Cell Trait, and the College of New Jersey's Jay Hoffman, president of the National Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association, also are interviewed in the video. The video can be viewed at the following link: http://web1.ncaa.org/web_video/health_and_safety/sickle_cell/sickleCell.html
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| Georgia Bulldogs Football Forum Message Board and Blog > Sports > Georgia Bulldog Football > Richt, UGA Featured In NCAA Sickle Cell Video | |
