By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

With the football season ramping up, most locals are excited about getting a chance to see some gridiron action for the first time in months. But officials at Alabaster’s Kingwood Christian School and Lemak Sports Medicine have made sure they are ready for the sport’s more serious side.

In early August, certified athletic trainers and outreach supervisors with Lemak met with coaches at KCS to review football-related emergency planning, weather communication and safety and how to properly remove football equipment in the event of a serious sports injury.

According to Lemak, more than 775,000 children ages 14 and younger are treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide for sports-related injuries each year. Most injuries occurred as a result of falls, being struck by objects, collisions and overexertion during unorganized or informal sports activities.

“We always pray and hope for the safety of our players, visiting athletes and fans,” said Steve Birmingham, Head Coach and Athletic Director at Kingwood Christian. “Being prepared in the event of an emergency arises is wisdom.”

During the meeting at KCS, school and Lemak officials worked to develop an emergency action plan, which outlines the course of action should an emergency arise on or off the playing field.

“A well-written EAP will indicate specific responsibilities for coaches and other individuals in order to obtain advanced medical care for an injured athlete or spectator,” read a Lemak press release.

“It is imperative that athletic departments involve administrators, coaches, athletic trainers, medical personal and emergency medical services in training reviews and scenarios,” said Britney Bates, director of sports medicine and outreach for Lemak. “Hands-on demonstrations and real-life scenario training will ultimately help ensure athletes will have access to the best care available when an emergency situation does arise.”

Lemak Sports Medicine staff has already started reviewing emergency action plan reviews with the KCS volleyball and cheerleading coaches, and will work with other KCS coaches over the next several weeks.