Toolkit Helps Schools Deal with Catastrophic Events in Athletics

High school sports bring excitement, teamwork and resilience to students’ lives. Yet, when serious injuries or fatalities occur, they leave lasting impacts not only on the students involved but on coaches, teachers, athletic trainers, school nurses, friends, administrators and the broader school community.

While these types of tragic incidents are thankfully rare, recent catastrophic and near catastrophic events around the country underscore the importance of having accessible resources to manage the physical, emotional and logistical challenges that can arise.

To help schools support their communities after such critical incidents, a comprehensive Post-Event Toolkit is available on the NFHS website. As a sports medicine physician who also works in the emergency department and encounters catastrophic events more frequently than most, it is important to have a structured response in place to navigate these crises effectively. This resource offers guidance for administrators, coaches, parents and staff on how to handle the aftermath of a traumatic event compassionately and effectively. Although many schools already have Grief Protocols in place, this toolkit is designed as a supplement, providing specific resources to help navigate the unique challenges that arise in athletic settings.

The Toolkit Covers Three Main Areas: administrative tasks, technical response and emotional support. Administratively, it guides school officials on best practices for communicating with families, students and the public, ensuring transparency and sensitivity in response to the incident.

On the technical side, the toolkit reinforces the importance of activating and following the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) effectively, outlining steps to respond immediately when every second matters. For emotional support, it provides valuable insights into helping students, coaches, and staff understand and process the trauma that can follow a critical incident, equipping them with strategies to address shock, sadness and stress.

Even those who are trained to handle emergencies can struggle emotionally when witnessing a catastrophic event. Coaches and athletic trainers, for example, are skilled in physical response but may feel unsure about the emotional impact on themselves and their teams. Athletes may also feel uncertain about returning to sports after witnessing a traumatic event. This toolkit is designed to address these concerns directly, helping schools provide meaningful support and easing the path to recovery for those affected.

The toolkit also outlines what qualifies as a catastrophic event in the context of school sports. These include fatalities, permanent disabilities, serious injuries such as severe head or neck trauma, temporary or transient paralysis, heat stroke, and cardiac incidents. By defining the scope of these events, the toolkit helps schools anticipate and prepare for the range of needs that may arise.

School administrators, coaches and athletic staff are encouraged to access the toolkit and integrate it into their emergency response plans. With this resource, schools can ensure they’re prepared not only to handle the technical aspects of critical incidents but also to support the emotional well-being of the entire school community, fostering resilience and compassion in the face of challenging circumstances.