FIELD 05 OF 06 / TEAM MEDICINE
Team medicine
What do we need the care team to explain?
Prepare clear observations and useful questions for the qualified people responsible for an athlete's care.
A MOMENT TO EXPLORE
After a care-team conversation, the family is unsure what one instruction means and who should receive the necessary update. A busy sports calendar is making the uncertainty feel urgent.
Three ways a family might begin. Open one to see what it opens up.
01Clarify the instruction
Bring the unclear instruction back to the appropriate qualified professional. This activity cannot interpret it, diagnose a concern or supply a return-to-play decision.
02Include the athlete's question
Ask what the athlete wants the professional to understand. Their experience and the parent's observations can both be useful without one replacing the other.
03Check the communication route
Find out who needs the necessary information and which channel to use. Keep private details out of public team discussions, and follow the care professional's guidance when circumstances change.
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR NEXT CONVERSATION
Take one home.
- 01
What did we understand clearly, and what still needs explaining?
- 02
Who is responsible for the next decision or follow-up?
- 03
What information needs to reach the appropriate person, and what should remain private?
Write the single instruction or next step you need clarified by the care team.
FROM THE ALMANAC / FIELD FIVE
Prepare for the conversation that belongs with the care team
- Bring observations, not a preferred verdict
- Keep the handoff clear
A health question can make the sports calendar feel suddenly small and unusually powerful at the same time. A family may be worried about a child while also thinking about a game, a travel reservation or a place on the team. It helps to recognize those competing pressures without allowing them to stand in for a medical judgment.
The first task of this field is to prepare a clear conversation with the appropriate qualified professional. Record the concern in ordinary words and note what you observed. Do not turn the page into an attempt to diagnose the problem. If something needs prompt care, use the appropriate care route rather than waiting to finish a book exercise.
Ask who is responsible for the relevant decisions. A school, team, outside clinician and family may each have a role, but this book cannot assign those roles in a particular situation. Clarify the process with the people involved. Knowing whom to contact can prevent a family from relying on a message passed through several other adults.
THE ATHLETE FARM PODCAST
Health before the next game
A conversation for this field is in development. New conversations with the people behind college athletics are coming soon.
Watch the show ↗Original discussion prompts for your own family conversation. They are not personalized advice. Specific concerns belong with a qualified coach, clinician or official source.