By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – All coaches in Alabaster’s youth sports leagues will be required to complete safety training in an effort to keep the city’s children safer after the City Council agreed to fund the training during an Oct. 13 meeting.

The council voted unanimously during the meeting to spend $20,144 from the Alabaster Parks and Recreation Department budget to fund the training.

“This is an effort by our Parks and Recreation Department to have all coaches certified in our youth athletic programs,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Sophie Martin. “The training will cover injury prevention, first aid, emergency response and basically all levels of safety.”

Through the training, which was developed by the National Center for Sports Safety and Dr. Lawrence Lemak, all Alabaster youth sports coaches will complete the program over the next two years.

The training will cover the “prevention of and response to common sports injuries as well as recognizing symptoms for potentially dangerous conditions and responding appropriately in emergency situations until a medical professional arrives,” according to the resolution approved by the council.

Through the city’s agreement with the National Center for Sports Safety, Alabaster also will have access to the organization’s policy and procedure manual builder, an information sports safety video for all parents and athletes involved in the city’s youth sports leagues, an online emergency action plan program to help the city develop a written action plan in the event of an emergency and promotional material to “help create a safe playing environment.”

The council’s Oct. 13 resolution will cover youth league coaches for the next two years, and will go into effect beginning with the 2015 youth league sports, said Alabaster City Manager George Henry.