Quote:
Originally posted by Oz Referee
As an aside, can I say that it is great to live in Australia, where out litigation laws are much tighter, and I therfor don't have to worry about been sued. (at least not to the extent of my American counterparts).
Having said that, I would have let the kid play, based on what I have heard here. Here's my reasoning:
1. He was not unconscious (by my definition, you can't be unconscious and sitting upright)
2. He had parental permission (legally might not mean much, but would still influence my decision)
3. He was not a danger to anyone else.
4. His condition (being diabetic) is a managable one, and as such, I don't feel that the player should be "punished" by being excluded.
5. I would assume (yes I know the ramifications of making assumptions) that the player (and hopefully his parents) would know more about his condition, recovery times, etc than me. If they both feel that he is ok to continue, and he is showing to obvious signs that I can observe - let him play.
But as I said, I usually don't need to worry about being sued....
|
I disagree that you cannot be unconscious and sitting upright. My mom is epileptic and has petit mal seizures. When she is has these seizures she is sitting up, her eyes are open and she is even talking. What she says is totally inappropriate to the conversation that is going on. Is she conscious? No. When she snaps out of these seizures she is totally unaware of what she said or what happened.
I also wouldn't rely on parental permission, at least not according to NF rules where an MD's note is required. There is not a physician I know that would let a player play after being unconscious, at least from a head injury.
The diabetic thing is another story. Some would let them play after they have recovered sufficiently. Most probably would not.
As far an not being dangerous to others, I disagree as well. When a person has insufficient blood sugar, their brain does not function properly. I have had patient's in the hospital with low blood sugar throw a punch at me. When they have recovered they never remember they did that. You could loosely relate low blood sugar with being extremely drunk.
In regards to your 4th point. Yes diabetes can be manageable but You don't know when or if this low blood sugar condition is going to recur. I don't consider it punishment to exclude a player if he is a threat of harm to himself or others. I consider it protection.
You can't rely on the player to exhibit proper judgment in situations like this. As far as the parents are concerned, if they let this child play after having a diabetic reaction like this, a person could make a very strong case to report this as child abuse. If I had a child with a condition like this, if they had any low blood sugar reaction I would insist that the coach pull them from the game and sit them for the rest of the game. I would do everything I could to prevent it such as giving the child a meal before the game. Check their blood sugar prior to the game or adjusting their insulin dosage times.