A/PPS 07.01 - Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to maintaining healthy and safe campuses.

1. SCOPE

   1. The physical well-being and health of every student-athlete is a priority of the Department of Athletics at Texas State University. It is the responsibility of staff athletic trainers, with the guidance of the team physicians, to provide the best possible health care for student-athletes at Texas State. This includes immediate first aid and follow-up treatment for all injuries or illnesses resulting from the participation in supervised practices, games, and team travel. Necessary referrals to appropriate physicians and medical services may be made by the team physicians and staff athletic trainers. Immediate communication with parents regarding serious injuries is also an important responsibility of staff athletic trainers.

2. ATHLETIC TRAINING MANUAL

   1. The Athletic Training Manual provides additional information on athletic training policies and procedures within the Department of Athletics.

3. PROCEDURES FOR DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

   1. The Department of Athletics is committed to the education of student-athletes in nutrition for performance and overall health. The nutritional supplement industry is largely unregulated, and is not required to ensure safety, efficacy, label accuracy, or compliance of its products. Because of this, student-athletes are accountable for supplement’s effect on their drug screening regardless of their intentions or actual knowledge. The institution adheres to the following policy and guidelines.

      1. All nutritional supplements provided by Texas State for use by student-athletes must be purchased by the department and distributed by a full-time member of the institution’s Sports Medicine or Strength and Conditioning staff. Staff members will evaluate nutritional supplements for safety, compliance with NCAA guidelines, potential for adverse drug test results, and efficacy.

      2. All student-athletes inquiring about personal nutritional supplement use must be referred to the institution’s director of Sports Medicine or Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. All student-athletes who choose to individually purchase and use supplements will be informed that supplements carry a risk of contamination and of the potential for a positive drug test outcome which may result in the loss of eligibility.

      3. Annually, student-athletes are specifically advised by the Athletics Compliance Office, Sports Medicine staff, and Strength and Conditioning personnel that obtaining free or complimentary nutritional supplements by an entity other than Texas State Athletics will be jeopardizing their NCAA eligibility, and that all personally purchased nutritional supplements should be reviewed by the director of Sports Medicine and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.

      4. During each semester, all previously approved nutritional supplements included on any approved lists or distributed by the Sports Medicine or Strength and Conditioning staff will be re-evaluated to ensure continued compliance with university, Sun Belt Conference, and NCAA rules.

4. REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

   1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      Position	Date
      Director, Sports Medicine	April 1 E7Y
      Associate Athletic Director, Compliance	April 1 E7Y

5. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Athletics policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Director of Sports Medicine; senior reviewer of this PPS

   Associate Athletic Director, Compliance

   Director, Athletics