Basic First Aid Instructions

When you coach athletes there’s more than simply teaching a skill. Coaches need to have basic first aid instructions under their belts including CPR. Alongside this they should buy first aid kit and first aid medical supplies and have them on hand during practices. There are any number of common sports injuries that can occur, some of which can be quite serious. In the face of an emergency a coach needs to be prepared and know when he or she needs to call 911.

Knowing CPR is the backbone of basic first aid instructions. Alongside that it helps to know how to manage bleeding, broken bones, dress a wound and wrap injuries. An experienced coach knows the types of sports injuries that happen most frequently in their field – so they can get trained to manage those specific problems – be it a neck, head, muscle, ankle or knee injury -- and also stock their first aid medical supplies accordingly. It’s worth noting that there are many excellent online first aid kits created specifically for coaches.

On the less obvious side there are other types of sports risks and associated first aid that are just as important. Athletes can suffer dehydration and heat stroke, for example. A coach should be able to recognize the symptoms of both these and react quickly to remedy the situation.

So what exactly should an athletic trainer or coach have in their first aid kit? First would be a variety of bandages – knuckle, butterfly, fingertip, triage and straight come immediately to mind. Additionally gauze bandages with waterproof tape and scissors come in very handy so that when an athlete sweats, the bandage stays in place. For personal protection, make sure to carry latex glove. For injuries with pain or swelling instant hot packs or cold packs are great assets. For protecting wounds from infection, keep alcohol prep pads and antibiotic cream in stock. If you live in an area where bees thrive, bite sting relief should go into the kit too.

Since common injuries in sports include strains and twists, keep a couple of different size ace bandages on hand. They’re not terribly expensive and many times you need more than one during play. Another good product to consider is moleskin. This protects players when they develop blisters or other types of irritation in an area covered by protective clothing.

There are certainly other items you could add to your kit, but it won’t do you much good if you don’t have basic first aid instructions. Seek out the Red Cross or another accredited organization and keep your first aid training certificate current (see below).

Online First Aid and CPR Courses

ProFirstAid: Workplace Adult, Child and Infant CPR/AED and First Aid	Student Level CPR: Awareness level CPR course for students	ProFirst Aid Basic: Workplace Adult only CPR/AED and First Aid
ProCPR: Health Care Provider (BLS) Adult, Child and Infant CPR/AED	ProFirst Aid Advanced: Health Care Provider Adult, Child and Infant CPR/AED (BLS) and First Aid

First Aid Medical Supplies

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