scoob134 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Every year it seems as though we have wrestlers that become infected with or contract a skin disease such as Staph or even worse, MRSA, as we did this past season. We all try to do everything we can by regularly cleaning the mats (which should be done on a daily basis). Keeping our mats clean is the first and an easy step in deterring outbreaks and passing diseases on to other teammates. However, it is nearly impossible to get and keep everything clean. There are other steps that we must establish in order to further reduce the chances of spreading these infections and diseases. First, we must educate our wrestlers on what to watch for. It?s important they then notify their coaches and parents immediately so treatment can begin. If some of these infections are found early enough, there is a much greater chance to prevent spreading, and it may take less time to heal. Secondly, we must keep all equipment cleaned. I used to let my kneepads go for weeks without cleaning them and you could definitely tell. Equipment to clean includes kneepads, headgear, and even shoes. Locker rooms should also be included. Lockers are rarely cleaned thoroughly and they are a prime place for bacteria to breed. Although we are approaching the end of the season, I encourage all coaches across the state to go one step further. There is a company named BioSweep which has machines that can sanitize the air in a room and all surfaces within a few hours. It recently went into an Indianapolis school and tested a practice mat before and after treatment. Even with normal mat cleaning practices, the surfaces prior to treatment tested positive for Staph and other contaminants. After treatment, the mat was clean of any Staph. You may contact me or BioSweep directly if you have any comments or suggestions on how we may distribute this important information. I had Staph and Impetigo in college and I have seen numerous wrestlers have to sit out matches do to infections. I?m sure anything we can proactively do to help our fellow wrestlers by avoid these breakouts would be appreciated by all. And to all coaches and wrestlers this weekend, Good Luck! Bart Welch, IHSAA & NCAA Wrestling Official bwelch@thescoobster.com Kymm Welch, Biosweep of Indianapolis 317-270-4191 kwelch@biosweepindy.com www.biosweepindy.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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