Sports Medicine

With football and other fall sports practices underway across Mississippi, August heat remains one of the most important safety concerns for student-athletes, coaches and athletic trainers. Schools should closely monitor weather conditions, recognize the warning signs of heat illness and head injuries, and have emergency procedures in place before practice …

Heat Mississippi weather often combines high heat and high humidity into a dangerous combination for athletes whose sports require training and competition outside. It takes the body up to a week to get safely acclimated to temperature extremes, and beginning a season of phase of training without giving the athlete’s …

Exercise Acclimatization Transitional Periods/Transitional Acclimatization/Exercise Acclimatization Throughout the academic year, conditioning periods should be phased in gradually and progressively to minimize risk of injury during transitional periods.  Transitional periods are defined as the first 5 days of any new conditioning cycle or new physical activity (including but not limited to …

Emergency Action Plan Every school or organization that sponsors athletics should develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) specifically for managing serious and/or potentially life-threatening sport-related injuries (athletics emergency action plan AEAP) It is recommended that the Athletics Emergency Action Plan (AEAP) be developed and coordinated with local EMS (when available), …

Concussion A concussion is a brain injury and all brain injuries are serious.  They are caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or by a blow to another part of the body with the force transmitted to the head.  They can range from mild to severe and …

Cold Water Immersion In the event of potential Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS), each school participating in interscholastic sports must be properly prepared and equipped to initiate Cold Water Immersion (CWI) or equivalent whole body cooling techniques and EMS concurrently contacted. Exertional Heat Stroke prevention and treatment should be part of …

WetBulb Globe Temperature The Mississippi High School Activities Association now mandates the use of wetbulb globe temperature readings for determining the safety of outdoor practices.  The sports medicine community has long recognized that the thermometer alone does not tell the story of heat safety, with factors like direct sunlight, humidity, …

2026-27 Catastrophic Insurance Forms2

The weather is not ideal for the fall season at this time, but as usual we are continuing to conduct our activities in a way that keeps our students as safe as possible. Once again we caution everyone to follow the WBGT mandate for practices and any outdoor activities. Keep cool …

The following was passed by the Executive Committee on Aug. 18. Schools who choose to go to a hybrid schedule, where at least 50% of the academic day is in-person learning, will be allowed to play their scheduled games. Schools or students who choose to go 100% virtual will be allowed …

Basic COVID Precautions Many of the previous recommendations for addressing COVID and other contagious diseases from the last year will be carried over into the 2021/2022 athletic year.  In brief, these include but are not limited to: Signage listing current COVID guidance such as symptom to monitor, local masking policies, …

Mississippi High School Activities Association Comprehensive Fall 2021 Return to Sport Guidelines Purpose Statement By implementing well understood concepts, we aim to reintroduce sports and  extra-curricular activities and competition to public school in the safest manner possible.  Our overall goal is allowing students to enjoy the benefits of MHSAA activities …

Athlete safety is a priority for the Mississippi High School Activities Association, and through our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, we continue to strive to provide best practice information for coaches, administrators, athletes, and parents on how best to keep our youth safe. While there is inherent risk in athletic participation …

The implementation of the Lightning Detector requirement is not meant to supplant common sense or to ignore visual sightings of lightning strikes, but rather to be used as an adjunct to increase the safety and well-being of athletes, fans, and officials at outdoor events. Today’s advanced technology provides relatively reliable …

A concussion is a brain injury and all brain injuries are serious.  They are caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or by a blow to another part of the body with the force transmitted to the head.  They can range from mild to severe and can …

One of the most magnificent natural phenomena, lighting is often believed to be an infrequent occurrence. According to the National Weather Service, lightning hits the earth 8.6 million times a day. Lightning is a spark that can reach over 5 miles in length, attain a temperature of approximately 50,000º F, …

                        MHSAA Recommendation for Preparticipation Physical Exam evaluation for Post-Covid Students   The MHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recognizes that, over the course of the COVID Pandemic, students experienced COVID infections with varying symptom severity and duration and varying …

MHSAA Pre-Game Medical Minute (For All Sports) Before each contest, host school game administrator shall discuss medical issues related to the competing teams, venue, and access to medical care. Pre-Game Management Meeting shall include: The head coaches for all competing teams The head official The game administrator(s) The medical staff …