DrillsAndSkills.com

[flipper82]

When a kid gets a particularly bad, bloody rip where several layers of skin are torn, what's the best thing to do?


Keep it clean/neosporin and do not cover with bandaid or do cover?Which will make it heal best? How long before you have kids go back on bar? What do other coaches do?

[Damo77]

I'm not sure about the healing side of things, but I always made a big deal about a rip - you know, badge of honour. Hearty congratulations, showing it off to everyone, enjoy grossing the parents out.

I'm not a sicko, I just found that since rips are a fact of life in the gym, you've gotta put a positive spin on it. The last thing you want is for anybody to become timid on bars because of the risk of rips.

(The above works spectacularly well with boys, but also quite well with girls).

[TipGuy]

Definitely drum up the coolness of ripping with your students when they get them. They are a bit of a badge of honor.

Care:
1st thing put an anti-biotic cream of some sort on them. It is possible (though exceedingly unlikely) to get a staph infection from a rip. This could be VERY bad. Then for the next 48 hrs keep it covered with something on it to keep it moist (petroleum jelly, lanolin, etc). Then you can expose it to air and let it finish healing.
_________________
TipGuy
Webmaster DrillsAndSkills.com

[kati_b_2002]

I just got over Group A Strep (no staph) Infection caused by one of my rips. This is a very serious infection that you can pick up anywhere (doorknobs, pencils, etc) and is not contagious...I got four rips in one day and 2 of them were very bloody. This was my fault b/c I refused to stop until I caught 5 giengers. My coach kept trying to get me off bars. I should have listened. Anyways, what I did was put a band aid on all 4 of them b/c I was going to go spot level 5s on clear hips. I didn't want to get anything on the girls and I was thinking that it would be safer for me to keep them covered. I was so wrong. Because of the rips being covered and the fact that I didn't put neosporin (was in a rush-big mistake) on them caused a big issue. B/c they were covered the infection was able to breed in the moisture under the band aid.

This hospitalized me for 7 days, almost killed me, and has held me out of gym for almost a month. I still cannot use that arm very well and my grip is no where strong enough to do normal things-like hold on to the bar.

Whatever you do when you have a child that gets a rip take VERY good care of them. Do make them a big deal in a positive way-they happen almost every day during team practices and they are proof that the girls are working hard

JUST TAKE CARE OF THE RIP!
_________________
"Those who are afraid to fall never learn to fly."

[Coach Blair]

thanks for the story, Kati. I'll note to definitely not just take so thing so lightly possibly in the future and possibly use neosporin or something on even minor rips/open wounds.

[Levski]

hi

I second that kati, thanks for that heads up. I have to say that after girls get a rip i get them to wash their hands and than we put a bandaid on. And tape it, so they can keep going on other apparatus, or maybe do straps bar. But i think i will bring inthe neoSporin to gym now just in case.

Thanks, and i am sorry to hear about your injury/not sure what to call it..umm case.
_________________
Valentin Uzunov
The Gym Press
www.thegympress.net

[gurlgymnast]

I don't remember where I got this from (it might have even been here ) but when I have tender skin, a scab or a rip on my hand, I put an uninflated small balloon over the spot and then tape it up when I go on the bars. If it hurts to put pressure on your hand, it will still hurt, but the rip will not get any worse because the balloon will rub against itself.

[Coach Blair]

Saw that one online as well.