Skin Care

Contact sports, like wrestling, carry a risk for skin infections due to the skin-to-skin exposure. These skin infections are usually easy to treat and pose minimal risk to the health of the athlete. However, some infections, like MRSA, can become serious and even life threatning.

Coach Norton decided to focus his research at the University of Utah on skin infections in high school wrestling. With the help of his committee, they have designed a prevention program, based upon practices that have been proven to be successful. It is proposed that following this program will greatly reduce the risk for infection and promote the health of wrestlers, coaches, and their families. The program emphasizes the need for education, early detection, reduction of risk factors, and increasing protective factors.

Please use the following resources to understand the prevention program to be implemented this 2008-2009 season. With your help, we can keep our athletes on the mat and away from infections.

Click the following link below to see the beginning of the year presentation on Skin Infection Prevention. This show explains the program, outlines the main types of infection, details the prevention practices, and quizzes your knowledge of skin infections. skin_infection_prevention_program11

http://www.nwcaskinprevention.com- A great website loaded with excellent information, videos, and other materials!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pI49YOi-P-MXpHUL_iQcYGA&hl=en – This link will take you to the survey results gathered before the team meeting. Parents. wrestlers, and coaches were asked to evalutate the knowledge of skin infections and ability to identify the risk/protective factors. They were also asked to voice their opinion on the need for a prevention program.