SPORTS injuries are an occupational hazard associated with the game of football and due to the aggressive nature and high pace of the game, injuries will inevitably occur on the pitch. In addition, the occurrence of sudden illnesses and accidents must also be on the forefront of our minds as we seek to improve every facet of our football package in Saint Lucia.
In acknowledgement of this fact, the Saint Lucia Football Association Inc. (SLFA) has deemed it absolutely essential that every club participating in local football be equipped with an individual who is capable of administering assistance in the unfortunate event of an on field accident or illness.
The SLFA advances with its club licensing mandate it is absolutely imperative that every club desirous of a license be capable of managing on field emergencies. For these purposes, the SLFA has teamed up with Saint Lucia Red Cross to organize the SLFA/Saint Lucia Red Cross First Responders Course.
The course, which commenced on Thursday, January 26 at the Saint Lucia Red Cross Headquarters in Vigie, Castries was facilitated by certified personnel Joan Pereneau-Morris from the Saint Lucia Red Cross Society.
Participants will finish the course armed with the fundamental skills needed to administer first aid until further and more qualified assistance is available. Skill in first aid is an invaluable asset for anyone to possess. Proper administration of first aid can significantly reduce a patient’s risk of suffering long-term injuries and, in some cases, can even save a life.
It is the intention of the SLFA to provide each club which has fulfilled the initial club licensing requirements to get at least one person certified in first aid. As a result, this collaborative project will span eight months as the association seeks to enroll classes of twelve participants on the last Thursday of each month.
The first set of participants hailed exclusively from clubs which have qualified to participate in the SLFA’s first division tournament; this list of clubs has been supplemented by participants of an additional four clubs which have displayed a decent degree of competence in the President’s Cup.
Addressing the gathering, SLFA President Lyndon Cooper reiterated that this initiative is in accordance to the requirements of the club licensing process. He encouraged participants to approach the exercise with utmost seriousness and pledged the continued support of the association to all eighty-seven clubs with provisional club licenses.
He said, “This project is one of many to come, all with the sole intention of aiding clubs to meet the global requirements of the club licensing process.”
The next first responders course which will feature another twelve participating clubs is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21.