There will be no make up physicals!!! If you do not receive your free physical on June 10, 2008 you will be required to receive a physical by your family doctor. You can not participate in any sport with out a physical, and that physical must be after June 1, 2008. Physical forms can be picked up in the Athletic Office and or the Nurses Office. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Please note: The PIAA has adopted a new policy that will only require one (1) sports physical a year no matter how many sports that you participate in provided that you are not seriously injured or become extremely ill prior to the next sports season, however your parent(s) and or guardian(s) must fill out a recertification form before you may participate in another sport. If you should have any questions please see the Athletic Director, Mr. Campbell or the Nurse Mrs. Bitar

NEWS RELEASE

HERPES GLADIATORUM POSITION STATEMENT AND GUIDELINES

MECHANICSBURG, PA - Monday, December 17, 2007
It has been reported to the PIAA Board of Directors and PIAA Administrative Staff that there has been an outbreak of Herpes Gladiatorum (HG) at certain high schools sponsoring the sport of wrestling. While the reports of this outbreak are limited to a few schools in one region of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we believe that it is in every member school's best interest to be aware of this problem and to have links to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which has already been advising school districts as to the proper protocol for handling HG. The specific Pennsylvania Department of Health links are as follows:

• www.health.state.pa.us/sportshealth
  
• www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/lib/health/epidemiology/HerpesGladiatorum.pdf.
  Member schools are also encouraged to share with their Teams, coaches, athletic trainers, and physicians; relevant information from the National Federation of State High School Associations at:
  • www.nsaahome.org/textfile/spmeds/Herpes.pdf
  • www.nfhs.org/core/contentmanager/uploads/pdfs/wrestling/physician_release_for_wrestlers.pdf
  Finally, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee, under Points of Emphasis in its 2007-2008 NFHS Wrestling Rules Book, provides for (1) practical suggestions to assist in the reduction of the incidents of communicable skin conditions among wrestlers; and (2) guidelines to assist in the reduction of the spread of communicable skin conditions, if at least one wrestler is already infected. The following is a reprint of that Point of Emphasis:
  Communicable Skin Conditions
  The transmission of communicable skin conditions is still a major concern in the sport of wrestling. For the third time in six years, the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee has made communicable skin conditions a major Point of Emphasis for the 2007-08 wrestling season. Many rules changes have been implemented in an effort to reduce the spread of these conditions. If the spread of communicable skin conditions is going to be controlled, it will take more than simply rules. It will take every coach addressing the issue of prevention, everyday. Coaches must make it unacceptable for wrestlers to share common towels, to leave school without showering after practice or competition, to wear their practice clothes home, to practice or compete without having a daily skin check, to enter the practice room without wearing clean workout clothes and for mats not to be cleaned with a disinfectant cleaner at least once a day.
  The following guidelines provide practical suggestions that will help reduce the incidence of communicable skin conditions among wrestlers.
  1. Coaches must visit with wrestlers, and their parents, about how to recognize and prevent the most common communicable skin conditions.
  2. Clean wrestling mats at least once a day with a disinfectant cleaner*, preferably within one hour of practice or competition. Allow mats to air dry before using. There is great benefit from cleaning mats before and after practice. *(Disinfectant cleaners used should state they are effective against viruses, fungi and bacteria.)
  3. Don't allow any wrestler into the practice room without clean practice gear.
  4. Launder all towels, practice gear and uniforms after each use. To destroy disease-causing organisms, either use detergent containing bleach or dry all articles in a dryer at the high heat setting.
  5. Wrestlers should not put dirty practice clothes in the same gym bag in which they carry clean practice clothes to school. This may contaminate the bag and, therefore, the clean clothes.
  6. Headgear, shoes and neoprene sleeves and supports should be wiped with a disinfectant cleaner after every use and allowed to air dry.
  7. Do not allow wrestlers to share any item of practice gear or use common towels.
  8. Require each wrestler to shower after each practice and contest, scrubbing vigorously with an antibacterial or deodorant soap. Consider providing liquid soap. If this is not possible, do not allow wrestlers to share bars of soap.
  9. Wrestlers should keep their fingernails trimmed short to avoid scratching themselves or others, as any opening in the skin increases the risk of infection.
  10. Wash wall mats with a disinfectant cleaner on a regular basis (1-2 times weekly).
  11. Wipe weight benches with a disinfectant cleaner after each use and/or before the next day's use.
  12. Open the doors to the wrestling room each night and use fans to lower the heat and humidity. Proper ventilation is very important to destroy disease causing organisms, especially those causing fungal conditions, such as ringworm.
  13. Wrestlers, especially those who have experienced communicable skin conditions in the past, should boost their natural immunity to all diseases by eating healthy foods and getting adequate rest. They may also wish to take a multi-vitamin supplement.
  14. Coaches or Certified Athletic Trainers should perform daily skin checks on all wrestlers on the team, to catch early outbreaks of a communicable skin condition before it infects fellow teammates or an opponent.
  The following guidelines will help reduce the spread of communicable skin conditions, if at least one wrestler is already infected.
  1. Wrestlers with any signs of a communicable skin condition must be sent to a physician immediately and MUST be withheld from practice until a medical diagnosis and clearance is obtained.
  2. Wrestlers with a suspect skin condition must have current written permission from a physician before returning to practice/competition and should have such clearance before being allowed to participate in any way. After receiving physician clearance, it is wise to cover the affected area(s) with an occlusive (water resistant) dressing, or a gauze pad with water resistant covering on at least one side, until the lesion(s) is completely gone.
  3. Wrestlers having lesions from a communicable skin condition on their face or neck should launder their pillow case on a daily basis.
  4. Wrestlers with any signs of a communicable skin condition should wash their hands frequently to avoid contaminating themselves, or others.
  5. Wrestlers with communicable skin conditions should be made aware that contact they have with others during the school day, outside the wrestling room, may spread the condition to others.
  With appropriate monitoring and action from member schools, including application of appropriate sanitation procedures, the outbreak of HG can be controlled and the health of the student athletes protected. All member schools are expected to give this matter their full attention.

  Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc.
  550 Gettysburg Road * P.O. Box 2008 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-0708
  (800) 382-1392 * (717) 697-0374
  www.piaa.org

  PDF handout on Herpes Gladiatorum