Coaching and Care of Athletes

CARE OF THE ATHLETE IN TRAINING his hands a)so, is a normal condition, and is, indeed, nature's own way of protecting the athlete's feet and hands. So far this is good, but there may come a time when the calloused skin becomes so thick that it lacks elasticity, and therefore cracks. If these callo– sities become unduly thick and uncomfortable, or if they crack, the coach himself should not try to cure the condition, but should seek the aid of a doctor or a chiropodist. Some athletes, before their feet become properly calloused, experience a good deal of pain and inconvenience from blisters. Blisters are caused through the superficial layer of skin becoming separated from the real skin and the accumulation between the two layers of fluid. So long as the fluid remains wafery there is not much to fear, but if there is pain and inflammation and the blister itself contains pus, then it will call for medical attention. It is not unusual to cut a blister in the early stages, and when it has been emptied of fluid to paint it with iodine and place a protective covering over.. the incision. In the case of blisters and callouses, however, prevention is far better than cure. Normally the skin will become thickened, as a compensation against friction, but bringing the athlete slowly into training allows him to harden out his feet and hands without their becoming either blistered or unduly calloused. This process may be considerably aided by the daily application of a saturated saline solution to the skin surface, both before and during the opening training season. A compound,tincture ofbenzoin should be dabbed upon the skin a!"ea which is to be exposed to an exceptional amount of friction, such as the soles of the feet in all athletes and the palms of the hands in the pole-vaulter. We come now to the far more serious condition called 'athlete's foot.' This disease is much more prevalent than most people realize; and again prevention is strongly indicated, because the condition is extremely hard to cure. In its nature athlete's foot is a form of ringworm caused by the growth of particular fungi. The types of ringworm can be subdivided under several headings, but all we need to know at the moment is how to detect the symptoms. These usually occur between the third and fourth toes. They are characterized by itching, burning, and sometimes numbness. The skin becomes reddened and scaly, and after a time white flakes, which may be either dry or moist, appear. If the con– dition is allowed to persist bad cracks will occur between the toes, and the feet will become really sore. 149