News & Media | Magic sponge no more | |
  Introducing our blogger:
First Call! Medical Training are a leading if not THE leading First Aid Training Company in Scotland. Training & Events director, Craig McDermott has spent 20 years with the last Scottish Ambulance Service. Prior to that he gained a Diploma In sports injury & Medicine from The Institute of Sports Medicine. Fl. For 9 years before that he served with the Royal Navy & Royal Marines, as a Combat Medic. Serving in The Falklands, Northern Ireland, and various other area's around the world. Craig shares his tales of football, first aid and more in his weekly blog.
If you would like to discuss this blog on our message forums please click here
Entry 4 | 10th February 2011
Well folks never thought I would so glad to be back to work after a bit of a disaster in December. Already we have put on 4 Sports First Aid Courses (two for the SFA) which are all running well at the moment. Remember you can book up a course by joining with another club; all helps towards the clubs Quality Mark.
On other 'bloggy' matters, we have been helping with a BBC FILM PRODUCTION 'Case Histories'. We are providing medical cover for stunts & fight scenes etc. ...all very interesting & enlightening. Artistic license was never more so.. nothing like reality!! but good all the same.
Glad to see football trying to get back to normal with games, pitches etc., some cracking results. But as I write, it's SNOWING AGAIN ! with any luck it's only a 'blip' in the weather outlook.
One constant question we find on our courses is about Nutrition & Hydration. It's an area of First Aid that is slightly ignored. If players are properly hydrated (water water & more water! with a little 'Sports drink' thrown in ), & have eaten well (correct foods) then healing from soft tissue injuries is enhanced. Also it will hopefully stop players from becoming Hypoglycemic(low blood sugar ). This condition is NOT just for players who are diabetic; anyone can have a hypo episode, just some more than others. It is in a presentation we do for clubs, we try to educate players, & PARENTS! The amount of times a player has taken home the wrong or incorrect information...
If any of you have questions about First Aid, fire them into us... happily answer questions.
Till next time...
Entry 3 | 17th December 2010
SNOW SNOW & more SNOW.. need I say any more? I've no doubt you have all had your fill of the stuff.
 The lower temperature's affect everyone, but none more so than the goalkeepers... it only takes a 2 degree drop in body temperature for hypothermia to start. Whilst you 10 or 6 outfield players are running around keeping their body warm, spare a thought for your keeper! Yeah I know they are in a different 'place' (goalkeepers union!), but keep an eye on them. The practise/training session is not an exception.
In humans (and I think all mammals), nerve activity starts shutting down if the nerves drop below 10C (50F). This is why your fingers go numb on a cold day if you don't wear gloves. This is a function of the electro-chemical reactions on the cell membranes of the nerve fibers. In other words, keepers' thoughts & movements slow down.
I travelled to Dumfries to deliver a First Aid course, NO SNOW! I even saw some grass... green stuff! just sat there and no-one was playing football on it. What a waste, but not the course, that went very well.
I will be organising Sports First Aid courses around the country, if there is a requirement. Please keep checking the web site for details. We only need 8 people for a course to take place.
Till the next time....
Merry Christmas & A Happy new year, when it comes. I hope santa is good to you all. Entry 2 | 3rd December 2010
 Well everyone, I've had an interesting couple of weeks. Plenty of General & Sports first aid courses, but only one football specific'. Although our main business is teaching first aid, we occasionally 'teach the teacher '... if that makes sense. We had a day at Bathgate Sports Centre instructing their Lifeguards on how to teach AED (automatic external defibrillators) classes to their own staff. This is a vitalarea of First Aid; AED's save countless lives every year, so it was good to see West Lothian leisure take such a positive attitude to staff and patrons of all their sports centres. At Livingston FC, one of the young first team players went for a hernia op in Dundee, and all appears to have gone very well at this time and we are confident of a full quick recovery. Medical cover events came to a very abrupt end, so far as motorsport goes... SNOW! need I say more. Even the paramedics covering film sets got to go home early, and haven't been back. Something to do with continuity; sunny day should be followed by sunny day. In films, apparently its very noticeable if the actors are suddenly stood in snow, when it was sunny 5 seconds before!! By now, you all and I are very bored with all the snow. It’s just cancelled my Saturday afternoon at Easter Road, where I was due to attend the SFA Quality Mark Awards. So will have to find something to do, otherwise I can see me getting caught for some pre xmas decorating !! (like that's going to happen !) Until next time...... C p.s Remember to send your first aid queries in.
Entry 1 | 15th November 2010
I've had an Interesting couple of weeks covering Livingston FC, both first team & reserves. Stitching & Gluing a couple of players, so that they could continue playing, well one fo them straight back onto the pitch, the other, unfortunately was subbed. The reserves played Cowdenbeath FC, now if you know anything about these two clubs, you will know that a part of Livie FC directors or management teams were owners or in charge at Central park. So, just a little bit at stake! Livie scored after only 20 seconds, & went onto dominate the game, until the last 10 mins, going 3 -0 up, then Cowden came back, scoring 2 late goals, putting pressure on a makeshift back 4 of Livie. Managed to hold on till final whistle & as other results went our way, now top of reserves league.
On the training side, spent Wednesday with the dreaded 'paperwork', sorting out certificates, chasing payments, all the usual mundane stuff. Thursday was Training at Musselburgh Grammar, teaching 5th years who are on a Sports Leaders course. part of which must be First Aid. It was a great day,good bunch of pupils, but if there was one thing that did impress me, it was 11:11AM, THE CLASS. THE WHOLE SCHOOL fell silent to mark armistice.. to an 'old salty sea dog' it was very special to see the younger generation honouring the fallen.
Saturday was spent covering Motor Sport at TVR, I am glad to say no incidents to report.... the kind of meetings I like.
If any of you have medical questions or need advice for First Aid etc.. I hope to 'open a surgery session' please e mail your questions in.... All YFS Blogs are written on a voluntary basis and express the views of the blogger and not Youth Football Scotland. If you would like to ask a question to a blogger please e-mail it to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
|