PART 1

NATIONAL SPORTS MEDICINE STRUCTURES
Each member Federation shall have a Sports Medicine Committee as a part ofits basic organisational structure. The size and complexity of the Sports Medicine
Committee may vary considerably, depending upon the size of the member
Federation, the number of athletes served, and the geographic territory to becovered. However, the basic responsibilities of the Committee should be similar.
A. Objectives•••

To raise the level and quality of health care and the quality of care provided
to athletes at all levels, during both competition and training.
To assure that the health care system is capable of delivering care uniformly,effectively, and consistently.
To assure the highest quality of sports medicine knowledge and technicalskills for the entire sports medicine team (professionals, coaches, scientists,and administrators) through the provision of training, continuing education,and other resources.

B. Responsibilities

1. Support for National Teamsa. Prior to International Competitions
i. Assure the health and ﬁtness of athletes selected for the competition.
ii. Provide qualiﬁed medical professionals (physicians, therapists,psychologists).
iii. Provide adequate supplies and equipment.
iv. Educate team personnel (athletes and coaches) concerning travel
hygiene measures (see Chapter 12, Infectious Diseases).
v. Assure immunisations are appropriate for the site of the competition.
b. During the Competition
i. Assure adequate treatment space—village and stadium.
ii. Establish treatment schedules and stafﬁng—village and stadium.
iii. Assure proper food and water—village and stadium.
iv. Keep records of all illnesses and injuries, and treatments.
c. During Year-Round Training
i. Assure a functioning health care system at National Team trainingvenues.
ii. Develop a resource system for referral of athletes to qualiﬁed
community practitioners.
iii. Provide Sports Sciences support services to qualiﬁed athletes:• Periodic physiological monitoring of the training process• Biomechanical analysis of technical skills

CHAPTER 1, FEDERATION MEDICAL ORGANISATION••

Psychological skills training
Nutritional analysis and education

2. Support National Competition Programmes
Provide a medical care system for national competitions such as nationalchampionships, major competitions, and international meetings (refer to IAAFCompetition Medical Handbook for Track and Field and Road Racing for details).
3. Grassroots Programmes Support
a. Develop health screening, health care, and education programmes at local
and regional levels for Youth and Developmental athletes.
b. Provide health and safety education for coaches.
c. Integrate health and safety modules into the coaching education curriculumat all levels.
Reference

1.

International Association of Athletics Federation. IAAF Competition
Medical Handbook for Track and Field and Road Racing: A Practical Guide.
IAAF: Monaco, 2006.

PART 2

THE FEDERATION MEDICAL OFFICER
A. Responsibilities

1. Develop and strengthen the administrative, health care, and educationfunctions of the sports medicine structure:a. Medical care for athletes and teams
b. Medical care operation at major competitions
c. Education programmes for health professionals, athletes, and coaches
d. General health education for athletes at all levels
2. Assure the continuing operation of all aspects of the Federation’s sports
medicine structure.
3. Be responsible for the Federation’s communication with the IAAF andArea Organisations concerning sport medicine matters, and advising or
taking appropriate actions, when necessary.
4 Maintain liaison with the Federation Doping Control Ofﬁcer (Medicaland Doping should not be the same person).
5. Establish and enhance relationships with other appropriate national andinternational sports medicine organisations (i.e., IOC, FIMS, etc.).
B. Recommended Qualiﬁcations

1. Medical professional, licensed to practice by the State.
2. Member in good standing of the Federation.
3. Possess speciﬁc medical knowledge and experience in the sport of athletics,including basic understanding of the training process.
4. Member of national/international sports medicine organisations.
5. Available to commit time to the Federation and its sports medicine structure.
6. Personal qualities:•••

Energetic and enthusiastic about Federation sports medicine
programmes and duties.
Communication skills—has the desire to share and disseminate healthinformation to fellow professionals, coaches, and athletes.
Organisational skills—capable of developing and operating an ongoing
sports medicine organisation.

Reference

See Appendix 1, Olympic Movement Medical Code.

PART 3PLANNING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
A. Organisation and Planning

For local, national, and international competition, the team physician is
responsible for organising the medical staff, preparing the team for travel, andensuring that the appropriate personnel and medical supplies are available to theathletes. Frequently, the team physician will also be responsible for the medicalorganisation of training sites. The team physician must prepare for routine andunexpected injuries, illnesses, communicable diseases, and even major catastrophic
events when serving an athletic team “on the road.” Overall factors that must be
considered include the fatigue associated with travel as well as acclimatisation toheat, cold, or altitude.
The IAAF Competition Medical Handbook for Track and Field and Road Racing
is an excellent source for guidance concerning organising medical coverage of amajor athletic event. See also Appendix 2, Planning International Travel, for achecklist of tasks involved in international travel.
B. Food and Drink

The medical staff should ensure that familiar foods and drinks are available forthe athletes and staff.
Prevention and treatment of acute infectious diseases (especially traveler’sdiarrhea) is extremely important (see Chapter 12, Part 2, Infections at Large).
Gastrointestinal infections are caused primarily by fecally contaminated water orfood. Sources of potential problems are uncooked vegetables, greens and fruits,
unpasteurised milk or milk products and undercooked or improperly stored meat or
ﬁsh represent the highest risks. Food in the athlete’s village, restaurants, and private
homes is usually safe, but it is best to eat only well-cooked foods or peeled fruits.
Athletes should avoid buying food from street vendors.
Where possible, travelers should drink only bottled water or carbonatedbeverages. If puriﬁcation is necessary, water should be boiled three to ﬁve minutes
or treated with iodine or chlorine drops. Most stadia and training facilities do nothave potable water. Medical staff must make sure that adequate drinking water isavailable for their athletes during training and competition.
C. Immunisations

The medical staff should ensure that all required immunisations are updated
prior to departure. These may include tetanus, immunoglobulin, diphtheria,pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus, or others, depending upon
the travel destination. The immunisation record should be kept with the athlete’spassport. (See Chapter 12, Part 1, Infections Associated with Sports for more
information.)CHAPTER 1, FEDERATION MEDICAL ORGANISATION

D. Staff Selection

Personnel for the medical staff should be selected carefully. Team physicians
and athletic trainers (physiotherapists) should have a background in athletics andfamiliarity with the biomechanics of the speciﬁc events. On longer trips to parts of
the world where special conditions exist, teams of thirty or more athletes should beaccompanied by one or two physiotherapists. At least two physicians and three orfour physiotherapists are needed for teams of more than 75 athletes. Knowledgeable
sports psychologists are also valuable on international trips.
E. Supplies and Equipment

The team physician must ensure that proper medical supplies and equipment areavailable for all possible on-the-ﬁeld injuries, emergencies (including CPR), androutine medical problems both during travel and at the competition. He/she should
not rely upon hosts to provide these essentials. After each trip, the supplies should beinventoried, restocked, and modiﬁed as necessary.
The medical staff should keep detailed records of all routine and emergency
treatment rendered to athletes. Clear records are important for the individual athletes
and for medical legal reason, and will help staffs prepare for future events.
Reference

1.

International Association of Athletics Federation. IAAF Competition
Medical Handbook for Track and Field and Road Racing: A Practical Guide.
IAAF: Monaco, 2006.