Athletic Training

FOOTBALL INJURIES 173 as minor injuries and bruises, the athlete cannot be too careful. All bruised or skinned places should be cared for by cleaning them immediately and covering them with a · clean gauze bandage. If the nose is skinned, as it frequently is in a scrimmage, the bruised part should be cleaned and covered with zinc oint– ment. The athlete should take the addi– tional precaution of wearing a nose-guard for a few days. One should always beware of knock– ing a scab off because it is sure to cause a bad sore and leave a scar. For the same rea– son all sores should be carefully washed and kept free of dirt and other foreign matter. Many a case of blood-poisoning is due to care– lessness in these details. What I have said before about the dangers of overwork applies particularly to football. Inexperienced and ambitious coaches are usu– ally responsible for this. In their desire to try out new plays, and worried by the fear of losing games, they forget that their players are human. Most football teams suffer from too much rather than too little work. Fur– thermore, nearly all injuries are received to– ward the end of practice and in the last period