BALLARAT Football Netball League is partnering with event-based first responders Vita First Aid to deliver medical care for junior players.<\/p>\n
Vita will provide two attendees at every junior football and netball game, and BFNL general manager Shane Anwyel said the collaboration will ensure safety remains a priority for younger teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about a duty of care for us and peace of mind for parents, and providing that extra level of care for contact sports like what we offer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cVita\u2019s staff will be able to offer more advanced first aid than what a normal trainer might do, and provide a little more expertise in how they can assess people and provide guidance to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited about this because we\u2019re the first league to provide this level of care, particularly to juniors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first aid service can provide a point of contact between ambulance services and players and will be able to supply more advanced pain relief not accessible to trainers.<\/p>\n
Director and operations manager of Vita, Scott Balmer, said his team will provide \u201ca weight off the trainers\u2019 shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be able to ensure that players get the right care they need by either getting the appropriate ambulances and also to the right people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can manage asthma, anaphylaxis, all the major health concerns, and we have further knowledge in concussion management and head injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not replacing the sports trainers by any means, but we\u2019re an additional tool for them to use. They do a great job, and they\u2019ll have an extra pair of hands and extra knowledge behind them.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s season will serve as a test trial for the collaboration, but Anwyel said he\u2019s hopeful their partnership will persist beyond that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt most likely is something that we\u2019d like to keep rolling on because we\u2019re setting that level of care now that people are going to expect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll evolve through the year so we can work out our best practice, and we\u2019ll go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BALLARAT Football Netball League is partnering with event-based first responders Vita First Aid to deliver medical care for junior players. Vita will provide two attendees at every junior football and netball game, and BFNL general manager Shane Anwyel said the collaboration will ensure safety remains a priority for younger teams. \u201cIt\u2019s about a duty of […]<\/p>\n