6 CAR Part 521 — Rules Pertaining to Youth Injury Mitigation and Information Courses for Athletics Personnel and Coaches

Chapter XVI

Subchapter A

Subpart 1

6 CAR § 521-101 Purpose {#sec-6-car-521-101 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-521--6 CAR § 521-101}

6 CAR § 521-101. Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to ensure any association, as defined in 6 CAR § 521-102, that sponsors or conducts sports training or high-risk youth athletic activities for children aged fourteen (14) and younger requires all coaches and athletics personnel to complete an online or residence course approved by the Department of Health.

6 CAR § 521-102 Definitions {#sec-6-car-521-102 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-521--6 CAR § 521-102}

6 CAR § 521-102. Definitions.

As used in this part:

(1) “Association” means an organization that administers or conducts high-risk youth athletic activities on property that is owned, leased, managed, or maintained by:

(A) The state;

(B) An agent of the state; or

(C) A political subdivision of the state;

(2) “Athletics personnel” means athletic directors and other individuals actively involved in organizing, training, or coaching athletic activities for individuals who are fourteen (14) years of age or younger;

(3)(A) “Coach” means any individual, whether paid, unpaid, volunteer, or interim, who has been approved by an association to organize, train, or supervise a youth athlete or team of youth athletes.

(B) “Coach” may include without limitation an individual selected by a youth athlete or a team of youth athletes who has not been approved by an association if the individual approved by an association is unavailable;

(4) “High-risk youth athletic activities” means any organized sport in which there is a significant possibility for a youth athlete to sustain a serious physical injury, including without limitation the sports of:

(A) Football;

(B) Basketball;

(C) Baseball;

(D) Volleyball;

(E) Soccer;

(F) Ice or field hockey;

(G) Cheerleading; and

(H) Lacrosse;

(5) “Residence course” means a course in which the athletic personnel or coach goes to an institutional campus or instructional site as opposed to a course where the athletic personnel or coach completes the course online; and

(6) “Youth athlete” means an individual who:

(A) Is fourteen (14) years of age or younger; and

(B) Participates in an organized sport.

6 CAR § 521-103 Training requirements {#sec-6-car-521-103 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-521--6 CAR § 521-103}

6 CAR § 521-103. Training requirements.

(a) Any youth injury mitigation and information course described under this section shall provide information and awareness of actions and measures that may be used to decrease the likelihood that a youth athlete will sustain a serious injury while engaged or participating in a high-risk youth athletic activity that includes the following subjects, without limitation:

(1) Emergency preparedness, planning, and rehearsal for traumatic injuries;

(2) Concussions and head trauma;

(3) Heat and extreme weather-related injury familiarization;

(4) Physical conditioning and training equipment usage; and

(5) Heart defects and abnormalities leading to sudden cardiac death.

(b) Athletic personnel and coaches who are required to take a course on youth injury mitigation and information shall complete the course within thirty (30) days of becoming actively engaged in or serving as a part of the athletics personnel or coaching staff for an association.

(c) Training in the course on youth injury mitigation and information is an annual requirement to be completed no later than the anniversary of the date on which the individual became actively engaged in serving as athletic personnel or coach for an association.

6 CAR § 521-104 Approved courses {#sec-6-car-521-104 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-521--6 CAR § 521-104}

6 CAR § 521-104. Approved courses.

(a) The approved course provider list is located on the Coach Safely section of the Department of Health website, https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov.

(b) Copies of the approved course provider list may also be obtained by contacting the Department of Health Substance Misuse and Injury Prevention program:

Phone: 501-671-1449

Mailing Address: 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 10, Little Rock, AR 72205

Email Address: ADH.injuryprevention@arkansas.gov

(c) To request review and approval of a course, contact the Department of Health Substance Misuse and Injury Prevention program:

Phone: 501-671-1449

Mailing Address: 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 10, Little Rock, AR 72205

Email Address: ADH.injuryprevention@arkansas.gov

6 CAR § 521-105 Recordkeeping requirements {#sec-6-car-521-105 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-521--6 CAR § 521-105}

6 CAR § 521-105. Recordkeeping requirements.

An association that conducts a high-risk youth athletic activity or event that requires a coach or an athletics personnel member to complete a youth injury mitigation and information course shall maintain a record of individual course completion for as long as that individual serves as athletic personnel or coach for the association.

6 CAR § 521-106 Exemption {#sec-6-car-521-106 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-521--6 CAR § 521-106}

6 CAR § 521-106. Exemption.

(a) The youth injury mitigation and information training requirement does not apply to the following individuals:

(1) A licensed teacher with a coaching endorsement on the licensed teacher’s teaching license;

(2) A licensed teacher who completes the Arkansas Activities Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations coaching endorsement program; and

(3) A registered volunteer under the Arkansas Registered Volunteers Program Act, Arkansas Code § 6-22-101 et seq., who completes the Arkansas Activities Association and National Federation of State High School Associations coaching endorsement program.

(b) All licensed and certified athletic trainers, doctors, nurses, first responders, and healthcare professionals with acute traumatic life support training are exempt from the youth injury mitigation and information course requirement.