Dilemma

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I am an assistant coach. Our league requires that student-athletes have had a physical examination and that this be verified on a specific, approved form. The night before the race I am checking our records and notice that some of the forms on file are not the official, approved forms. Should I try to prohibit the student-athletes from participating tomorrow?
 
If this involves matters of the heart, lungs or other pertinant information that you lack, then as a matter of saftey you should. If you have enough information to safely let them play then give them a “one time only” offer to participate then have them go back and get the right physical.

Usually these things are standardized for legal and health reasons. There’s a woman on this board who lost her daughter earlier this year of an previously unknown heart condition, I’d be a horror to loose a kid because of an unknown heart condition his dr didn’t catch but an exam for your paperwork would of.
 
To me, this is a dilemma from an ethical rather than a safety standpoint. The forms say that the doctor has cleared the kids to compete - they’re just not the official ones prescribed by the league rules.
 
Seems to me that there may be some liability issues here, especially if you discriminate on any kind of basis. Do you have some kind of consent forms to be signed by the athletes, attempting to release you of such (or any other kinds of) liabilities? Or is this already taken care of by the league?
 
I’m really not worried about anything happening. The kids have been examined by a physician - it’s just that technically the rules state that a specific form should be filled out. I’m wondering whether it is ethical to allow my athletes to compete and help our team if they have not technically met this requirement.
 
Catholic said:
I’m really not worried about anything happening. The kids have been examined by a physician - it’s just that technically the rules state that a specific form should be filled out. I’m wondering whether it is ethical to allow my athletes to compete and help our team if they have not technically met this requirement.
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I think you just answered your own question. Rules are rules.

Hope your team wins, by the way. 😉
 
Catholic said:
I am an assistant coach. Our league requires that student-athletes have had a physical examination and that this be verified on a specific, approved form. The night before the race I am checking our records and notice that some of the forms on file are not the official, approved forms. Should I try to prohibit the student-athletes from participating tomorrow?
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Report your findings to the head coach.
 
Catholic said:
I am an assistant coach. Our league requires that student-athletes have had a physical examination and that this be verified on a specific, approved form. The night before the race I am checking our records and notice that some of the forms on file are not the official, approved forms. Should I try to prohibit the student-athletes from participating tomorrow?
Click to expand...
this is a legal issue not a moral issue. what are the requirements of the league/school/athletic association. are they in writing. were you properly instructed. were all the athletes and parents properly instructed. are you the person delegated with authority to collect, verify and file the forms. are you the person delegated to make this decision. If it was me I would report to your superior, or to the person in charge of the tournament and let them make the decision, but insist it apply equally to all teams and athletes competing.
 
What happens if the Association, League or whatever finds out you do not have the proper forms. Would they bar the team from competing. If doctors have cleared them all and signed, I wouldn’t be so concerned about what might happen medically, but more what happens if the Organization checks up and finds you lacking. The whole team might be penalized and have to set out a season. It seems to me as the assistant this is not your concern, but the head coach needs to make a decision.
 
Without the proper forms, how can you be 100% sure that the students are cleared? For example, if a form is missing and the student has a medical incident, can you say “well, I know little Johnny was healthy enough to play, but don’t really have anything to prove it” to the parents or others involved. I would say that the forms are to protect the students and that is a very important thing (not that you’re minimizing their safety).
 
Thank you to everyone for your advice. The morning of the race I spoke to one of the executive directors of the league, who said the rule was in place to protect the school, not the league, so he would not punish us. I understand that it would not necessarily justify having them compete, but the head coach said he did not want to prohibit a kid from running on what was a coaching mistake. Later, the vice director told me simply to start accepting the proper forms from now on.

After that competition, I decided to try to standardize the forms. I quickly found myself in a Catch-22 when I realized that the required form (posted on our league web page) was copyrighted. I do not believe the league has the permission to post the form, because after some calling around, I had to pay about $25 - $30 to order fifty forms from one of the copyright holders. I doubt that many people even know about the rule to have a standard form (our Athletic Director did not) or that the form is copyrighted. I am trying hard, but please pray for me to act appropriately as I try to sort this out.
 
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