Expert Recommendations and Considerations for Collegiate Athletics
Background and Purpose
Governing bodies of collegiate sports, working together with public health officials and institutions of higher education have an important role in protecting student-athletes, the student body, staff, faculty, and fans to help ensure a safe and healthy athletic environment as they consider the return of collegiate sports-related activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the support of Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, and senior leadership at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), its Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine department established a multi-disciplinary panel of experts to develop return-to-sports recommendations. This should provide valuable insight and expertise as states, conferences, and institutions navigate this public health challenge. This committee was led by Wesley Cox, M.D., Assistant Professor, Chief of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, and included:
UAMS Orthopaedics
Larry Balle, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Family Med/Orthopaedics (NWA)
C. Lowry Barnes, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Orthopaedic Surgery UAMS Musculoskeletal Service Line Director
Tyler Carlee, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery (NWA)
Michael Cassat, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Family Med/Orthopaedics
Kristin Garner, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Family Med/Orthopaedics
Michael Israel, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics/Orthopaedics (ACH)
Navin Kilambi, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedics (NWA)
Lawrence O’Malley, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Brant Sachleben, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, (ACH)
Jack Vander Schilden, M.D.
Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Ramon Ylanan, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Family Med/Orthopaedics (NWA)
UAMS Internal Medicine
Michelle Krause, M.D.
Professor, Nephrology
UAMS Medical Specialties Service Line Director
Keyur Vyas, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases
John P. Mounsey, M.D.
Professor, Cardiology
UAMS Pathology
Jennifer Hunt, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Pathology
These recommendations are based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). They are not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As more is learned about COVID-19, recommendations will be updated.
The governing bodies of collegiate sports will provide specific guidelines for institutions as they create a plan for re-socialization. Team staff members and student-athletes should follow the guidelines set forth by their appropriate governing body and institution.
Goal
Our goal is to provide recommendations reflective of medical best practices and keep the health and safety of student-athletes, administrators, coaches, staff, and fans as the No. 1 priority. We must all work together to safely return to sports. At stake is the health of our student-athletes, our communities, our economy, our state and our nation. As soon as it is safe to do so we want athletics to resume. We must remain diligent in reducing the risk of infection as much as possible.
As coaches, administrators, trainers and support staff including physicians, it is our responsibility to appropriately educate our student-athletes. It is not their fault if they become ill or seasons are cancelled. We must do our job of making sure we all understand the significant impact that a single COVID-19 infection on a student-athlete will have.
Please contact your team/school’s medical team for additional recommendations. UAMS is available to provide additional guidance if needed.
We must be the example and hold ourselves and our teammates accountable for our actions. We must be the ultimate teammate and assign the health of our teammates as our No. 1 priority.