First Aid for Fantasy Fanatics

[sixhands]

First Aid for Fantasy Fanatics

The Emergency Medical Services profession consists of numerous personnel. Paramedics, Firefighters, Police Officers, Lifeguards and Hospital staff are probably the first that come to mind if someone had to ask. The majority of these occupations are “reaction” based, they respond to an emergency or incident when it occurs. In the fantasy sports world the only time something like this happens is when Crosby takes a puck to the face or Gagner tries to get frisky with Kassian’s stick. Our reaction? We replace the player almost immediately with the best available on the waiver wire or we make a trade.

The old adage “Prevention is better than a cure” has been repeated ad nauseum yet most of us fail to adhere to it. This could be for a variety of reasons, most of which have been written on this very site so I won’t rehash those topics.

There are plenty of emergencies that need to be handled, in the real world and with your fantasy sports teams. Except for the glaringly obvious ones like Stalberg hurting his shoulder in pre-season or Parros’ face plant (I’m glad the guy’s okay, except for the concussion issues that are likely to follow!), the rest are minor wounds so to speak. You either don’t know your team is hurting or you refuse to admit it, like a person with chest pains who vehemently denies he’s having a heart attack. Denial is almost as bad as ignorance when it comes to fantasy sports.

So what am I suggesting you may ask? I am going to apply First Aid principles to fantasy hockey in the hopes that you can turn a “sick” team into a “healthy” one before it’s too late. And as an added bonus you may even be able to apply these techniques, albeit only theory, to any emergency situation you may encounter. I am a member of the Emergency Medical Services program in BC, Canada and I also volunteer my time for Search and Rescue. All principles described are “active” emergency medical techniques, depending on where you live!

Disclaimer; if you live outside the West Coast of Canada please check with your local Medical Control Center regarding your jurisdiction’s protocols. I am certified in British Columbia, Canada.

Step 1 - Activate the Emergency Medical System

Calling 911 in North America, 999 in the UK, 000 in Australia, 111 in New Zealand and 112 for the majority of Europe will connect you to an Emergency Dispatch Service. Now I’m not advocating that you call these numbers and tell them that your fantasy hockey team has gone into cardiac arrest! Not at all, I am merely asking you to use the most common method which is asking for HELP!

Recognizing that your team needs “first aid” is important. Seek help and locate your weaknesses.

Step 2 – Rescue Scene Evaluation

In an emergency your first thought isn’t about the subject you are trying to rescue or save, it’s about your own personal safety. YOU are your first priority; your safety is of the utmost importance so if you’re “freaking out” as a GM your team can’t be saved

Eliminate hazards: Do you rush into your draft unprepared? Would you rush to save someone from a burning building without being prepared first? Apply the same logic to your fantasy team as you would in a rescue situation.

Environment: Are you consistently in the bottom half of your keeper or dynasty league? Have other GM’s commented (more than once) that you are in a “rebuilding” phase? Do you trade away your 1st overall draft pick for another unproven prospect?

An ideal day in any emergency situation is one with clear skies and minimal complications. Unfortunately, the weather has little effect on our fantasy teams when we’re drafting them.

How did the injury occur: The activity, or action, preceding an injury are crucial to determining your next course of action. In some cases you can rule out spinal immobilization (depending on your level of training) and in others you need to stabilize, before you can transport.

So in essence I am asking you to evaluate how you got to this situation. If you’ve already identified with the first two sections of the RSE then this one you should focus on. What happened to your team? Did you get hit with a bunch of injuries? Did you draft players that are suspended or injured? It all makes a difference?

Personal Protective Equipment and # of Patients: Safety being the #1 concern of any First Responder requires the use of gloves, goggles and other items of body substance isolation equipment.

Protect yourself from misleading stats obtained from other leagues and pool providers. When I first started with fantasy hockey using Yahoo, I would freak out when the notification said that 517 users had dropped Evander Kane. I realized pretty quickly that they were in a completely different league to my keeper!

If you have more than one patient you are in a triage situation. Simple emergency fact for you! The patient that screams the loudest, is the last patient you need to save in a triage situation (Airway … check, Breathing … check, Circulation … check.) So if you have more than one fantasy team you need to focus on the one that needs your help the most, first!

All of the above information is crucial in determining how you approach Step 3, which is the Primary Survey. This is the stage where you’re saving lives, critical interventions and protocols can be the difference between life and death.

The Primary Survey for your fantasy hockey team could be the difference between a championship within two years, or building a new basement for the next five!

If you are interested in learning more about Emergency Medical Practices and how it can be applied to your fantasy team please let me know.

Next week I will discuss the Primary Survey and please remember, we haven't even approached the patient yet. Background history is just as important as the event at hand.

Do you think your team needs some Fantasy First Aid?


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[horrorfan]

Very well written, thanks.