Developing a Policies and Procedures Manual

Developing a Policies and Procedures Manual chapter22 Developinga Policiesand ProceduresManual Boyd Epley, MEd, CSCS, FNSCAJohn Taylor, MS; CSCS,*D; CP; FNSCA

Chapter Objectives • Develop goals and objectives of a strength and conditioning program. • Define job duties of various strength and conditioning positions. • Understand policies of a strength and con-ditioning facility that help to achieve the goals and objectives. • Understand administrative decisions that lead to a safe and effective program. • Create a policies and procedures manual.

Key Terms • policies: A facility’s rules and regulations; they reflect the goals and objectives of the program. • procedures: Procedures describe how policies are met or carried out.

Section Outline • Mission Statement and Program Goals

Mission Statement and Program Goals • Suggested criteria for an effective mission statement (according to the Drucker Foundation): • Is short and sharply focused • Is clear and easily understood • Defines why we do what we do; why the organization exists • Does not prescribe means • Is sufficiently broad • Provides direction for doing the right things • Addresses our opportunities • Matches our competence • Inspires our commitment • Says what, in the end, we want to be remembered for

Mission Statement and Program Goals • The following is an example of a holistic mission statement of a strength and conditioning program: • “To provide to athletes the means by which theycan train consistently, sensibly, and systematically over designated periods of time in a safe, clean,and professional environment to help preventinjury and improve athletic performance.”

Key Point • A mission statement provides focus, direc-tion, and a sense of purpose for a strength and conditioning program. The most foun-dational goal of a strength and conditioning program is to improve athletic performance.

Section Outline • Program Objectives

Program Objectives • Following is a sample list of objectives to reach program goals: • Design and administer strength, flexibility, aerobic, plyometric, and other training programs that reduce the likelihood of injuries and improve athletic performance. • Develop training programs based on biomechanical and physiological differences among individual athletes, taking into consideration their ages, sex, training status, physical limitations, and injury status. (continued)

Program Objectives • Following is a sample list of objectives to reach program goals (continued): • Recognize acute and chronic physiological responses and adaptations and their implicationsfor the design of sport-specific training programs. • Educate athletes on the importance of good nutrition and its role in health and performance. • Educate athletes about the effects of performance-enhancing substances and their abuse, relevant school policy, legislation, and safe and viable alternatives.

Section Outline • Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Strength and Conditioning Director (Head Strength and Conditioning Professional) • Assistant Strength and Conditioning Professional • Facility Supervisor

Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Job responsibilities vary according to the institution. • Consult the Strength and Conditioning Professionals Standards and Guidelines manual when developing job descriptions and responsibilities.

Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Strength and conditioning practitioners should • achieve and maintain professional certifications, • meet continuing education requirements, • follow a code of ethics, and • consider obtaining the CSCS credential offered through the NSCA Certification Commission.

Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists • apply foundational knowledge to assess, motivate, educate, and train athletes for the primary goal of improving sports performance; • conduct sport-specific testing sessions; • design and implement safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs; • provide guidance about nutrition and injury prevention; and • refer athletes when appropriate.

Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Strength and Conditioning Director (Head Strength and Conditioning Professional) • This person is responsible for the overall strength and conditioning program, facility, equipment, staff, and such administrative tasks as preparing a budget, purchasing equipment, preparing proposals, and working with the school administration and media.

Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Assistant Strength and Conditioning Professional • This person is responsible for many of the same duties as the director but is usually only directly responsible for a limited number of teams, not the whole program.

Job Titles, Descriptions, and Duties of the Strength and Conditioning Staff • Facility Supervisor • This person is usually a part-time staff member, often an exercise science student, who is respon-sible for observing activities within the strength and conditioning facility and cleaning and maintaining its equipment. • Also assists the director and the assistant strength coaches when necessary.

Key Point • The roles and responsibilities of strength and conditioning staff members should be distinct and clearly communicated.

Section Outline • Staff Policies and Activities • Orientation Meeting • Annual Plan • Budgetary Issues • Staff Facility Use • Staff Workout Times • Relationships With Athletes and Other Staff Members (continued)

Section Outline (continued) • Staff Policies and Activities • Staff Professional Goals • Posted Messages and Signs • Touring the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Approved Exercises, Techniques, Spotting Guidelines, and Safety Equipment • Testing Procedures and Schedule • Workout Sheet • Records and Awards

Staff Policies and Activities • Orientation Meeting • Held at the beginning of the school year or sport season, for athletes and coaches • Director provides phone numbers and explains services, training schedules, facility rules, disciplinary action, awards, and emergency procedures

Staff Policies and Activities • Annual Plan • Allows the strength and conditioning professional to foresee and plan for upcoming projects • An approach to creating the first annual plan: • List projects in advance for all 12 months. • Include special events and a list of “to dos” for each month. • Identify which staff member should handle which project. • Prioritize the list. • Discuss or cover the list with the staff. • Review the month when it is over. • Update the list for next year.

Staff Policies and Activities • Budgetary Issues • The strength and conditioning professional should be prepared to provide the athletic director with the strength and condition-ing budget, including new equipment needed. • Staff Facility Use • The director and assistant strength and conditioning profes-sionals typically have full access within their discretion. • Staff Workout Times • If possible, staff should work out when sport teams are not in the facility. Staff should never work out when a team for which that staff member is responsible is training.

Staff Policies and Activities • Relationships With Athletes and Other Staff Members • Refrain from having personal relationships with athletes or other staff members. • Refer distressed athletes to an appropriate professional—do not attempt to provide counseling. • Staff Professional Goals • Continuing education is a necessary part of maintaining certification and reducing liability exposure. All staff should make a daily effort to increase their knowledge. • Posted Messages and Signs • Post updated notices on a central bulletin board.

Staff Policies and Activities • Touring the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Large groups/general public • Guests of the athletic director or strength coach • Recruits or other special guests • Approved Exercises, Techniques, Spotting Guidelines, and Safety Equipment • For each exercise on sport teams’ workout sheets, the director should provide instruction on how the technique should be taught to athletes. • All training programs designed by staff should be kept on file. • All staff members should be willing to spot when necessary.

Staff Policies and Activities • Testing Procedures and Schedule • Plan at the beginning of each semester or sport season • At the very least, the strength and conditioning staff needs to do the following: • Determine the overall testing schedule based on number of athletes and available staff. • Reserve the facility (if applicable). • Notify the athletes and coaches of the dates and times of testing. • Prepare the facility and equipment for testing. (continued)

Staff Policies and Activities • Testing Procedures and Schedule • At the very least, the strength and conditioning staff needs to do the following (continued): • Notify the school sports information department of dates, times, location, and so on, so that video or photos can be taken of new records or selected performers (if applicable). • Develop data collection sheets for each athlete. • Explain to the athletes any safety tips, scoring methods for tests, traffic flow procedures, and practice opportunities.

Staff Policies and Activities • Workout Sheet • Workout sheets are created by different processes, depending on the program. • All staff members should be familiar with all exercises on the sheet and should advise the athlete not to perform exercises that are not listed. • Records and Awards • Develop a strategy for encouraging optimal performance and rewarding accomplishment and effort. • Awards that go only to a few should be balanced with ways in which other athletes are rewarded.

Key Point • Adherence to a facility’s written policies and procedures is integral to the achievement of the strength and conditioning program’s goals and objectives.

Section Outline • Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Preparticipation Requirement for Student-Athletes • Eligibility Criteria • Action for an Ineligible Person • Telephone and Music System Use • Facility Rules and Guidelines • Emergency Procedures • Building Evacuation Plan • Accidents and Injuries • Fire • Tornadoes and Severe Weather • First Aid Kit

Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Preparticipation Requirement for Student-Athletes • Before an athlete is allowed access to the strength and conditioning facility, preparticipation screening and clearance must be required.

Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Eligibility Criteria • Full- or part-time student-athletes participating in an athletic department-sponsored sport • Incoming and just-transferred student-athletes who have registered for school and have confirmation of team status as designated by the head sport coach • Students in physical education classes (continued)

Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Eligibility Criteria (continued) • All athletic department coaching and administrative staff • All sports medicine department staff • Alumni athletes who participated in an athletic department-sponsored sport and completed their eligibility • Individuals and groups approved by the athletic director or strength and conditioning director

Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Eligibility Criteria • Criteria to determine whether outside organizations can use the facility include the following: • Use must be preapproved by the athletic director. • Use must be preapproved by the strength and conditioning director. • The program or session must be supervised by strength and conditioning department staff. • The program or session must be scheduled during off-hours when athletes are not present. (continued)

Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Eligibility Criteria • Criteria to determine whether outside organizations can use the facility include the following (continued): • The individual or organization must supply written proof of additional liability insurance. • All participants must sign a release agreement form. • All participants must follow the rules and regulations of the strength and conditioning facility. • The athletic director and the strength and conditioning director have the right to limit an individual’s or group’s access, if warranted.

Facility Administration • Access to and Supervision of the Facility • Action for an Ineligible Person • If a person who has not been approved for access is in the facility, it is the staff’s duty to explain the eligibility criteria to that person. • Student facility supervisors should not attempt to determine the eligibility status of a person who wants to access the facility.

Facility Administration • Telephone and Music System Use • Telephone should be used only by staff. • The music system should be operated only by staff, who should control the music selection unless a consensus can be reached by sport teams training. • Facility Rules and Guidelines • Rules should be posted and enforced. The director may want to require athletes to sign and date a copy of the rules to acknowledge that they understand and agree to them.

Facility Administration • Facility Rules and Guidelines • Disciplinary actions • First offense: a verbal warning by a staff member, an explanation of the nature and importance of the rule or guideline that was broken, and a reminder of the disciplinary action that will result from a second offense • Second offense: dismissal from the facility for one day, documentation of the offense by the staff member, correspondence with the athlete’s sport coach, and a reminder of the disciplinary action that will result from a third offense (continued)

Facility Administration • Facility Rules and Guidelines • Disciplinary actions (continued) • Third offense: dismissal from the facility for one week, documentation of the offense by the staff member, correspondence with the athlete’s sport coach, and a reminder of the disciplinary action that will result froma fourth offense (continued)

Facility Administration • Facility Rules and Guidelines • Disciplinary actions (continued) • Fourth offense: dismissal from the facility for the remainder of the year, documentation of the offense by the staff member, correspondence with the athlete’s sport coach and the athletic director, and a reminder of the disciplinary action that will result from a fifth offense • Fifth offense: permanent dismissal from the facility, documentation of the offense by the staff member, and correspondence with athlete’s sport coach and the athletic director

Facility Administration • Emergency Procedures • Building Evacuation Plan • Emergency plans should be rehearsed on a regular basis. • Accidents and Injuries • In case of accident, notify the director, sports medicine department, and campus security (if applicable). • If there is any question about the severity of the injury, do not hesitate to call the emergency response number.

Facility Administration • Emergency Procedures • Fire • Staff should know the location of the fire extinguisher in case of a small, contained fire. • In case of a larger fire, staff should pull the alarm and evacuate the building according to the evacuation plan. • Tornadoes and Severe Weather • It is the staff’s responsibility, with direction from campus security, to determine what to do and where to go during severe weather.

Facility Administration • Emergency Procedures • First Aid Kit • Staff should know the location of the first aid kit. • It is the staff’s responsibility to make sure that the first aid kit has the materials necessary to deal with all types of injuries.

Developing a Policies and Procedures Manual