Secondary School State Athletic Association Health and Safety Policy Development Processes

Abstract

BackgroundThe National Federation of State High School Associations provides recommendations regarding health and safety policies; however, policy development is governed at the state level. Given interstate differences in governance, the primary purpose was to describe processes that State High School Athletic Associations (SHSAAs) utilize to develop a new policy. The secondary objective was to determine what methods associations use to implement new policies.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey requested SHSAA (n = 51) representatives to report how athlete health and safety policies are introduced, revised, approved, and implemented within their state. The 22‐question survey was developed to gather variables for the aims of the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each survey item.ResultsOf states who responded (n = 33), most reported a 2‐committee (n = 24, 72.7%) process for developing and vetting policies, with initiation from the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (n = 27, 81.8%), followed by an executive‐level committee (n = 18, 66.7%). States reported total time from policy initiation to final approval ranged from 2 weeks to over 12 months. When a new policy was approved, most states indicated implementation began with an e‐mail (n = 24, 72.7%) sent to Athletic Directors (n = 26, 78.8%). School principal or district superintendent were reported as the position in charge of compliance (36.4%, n = 12).ConclusionsMost SHSAAs use a 2‐step process to write and review an athlete health and safety policy before approval. SHSAAs that require a longer policy development time could delay the implementation of important health measures. SHSAAs could consider additional communication methods to ensure information reaches all stakeholders.