Anatomy and Physiology for the Sport Safety Professional

Hours: 24 / Access Length: 3 Months / Delivery: Online, Live Mentored
Online Hours: 24
Retail Price: $499.00

Course Overview:

Anatomy and Physiology for the Sport Safety Professional (DAS-2) builds the anatomical foundation every sport safety professional needs to do their job with precision. Across twelve modules, learners work through all eleven body systems - not as a biology course, but as a field guide. You will learn to identify what you are looking at, describe it accurately, and document it defensibly. Every injury scenario, every incident report, every referral conversation depends on this language. No prior clinical background required.

Required Prerequisite: DAS-1: Athletic Safety and Risk Management

Course Outline:

Welcome & Course Introduction

Lesson 1: Anatomical Language: The Safety Professional's Dictionary

Before you can protect an athlete, you have to be able to describe what you see. This module establishes the universal language of anatomy - directional terms, body planes, and body regions - so that every observation you record means the same thing to every person who reads it. You will also learn the eleven body systems and how to prioritize them in an emergency using the C-N-R framework: Cardiovascular first, Neurological second, everything else in sequence. This is the foundation that every module builds on.

Lesson 2: The Skeletal System: Bones, Joints, and Injury Risk

Bones are not just structure. They protect organs, anchor movement, and present the injuries most visible to the sport safety professional on the sideline. This module covers all five bone types, the anatomy of long bones, fracture classification (open, closed, stress, Salter-Harris, avulsion), and the DOTS assessment sequence for suspected skeletal injury. You will learn how to differentiate a fracture from a soft tissue injury using field signs, when the femur fracture requires 911, and why the youth athlete's growth plate changes every assessment decision you make.

Lesson 3: The Muscular System: Strain, Sprain, and POLICE

The most common injuries in sport are soft tissue injuries - and the most common professional error is using the wrong term. Strain means muscle or tendon. Sprain means ligament. This distinction changes your assessment, your protocol, and your documentation. This module covers the grading system for both, the paradoxical warning sign of Grade III (pain that decreases after complete rupture), and the POLICE protocol - the evidence-based replacement for R.I.C.E. You will also learn why compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency and why you should never ice or elevate when it is suspected.

Lesson 4: The Nervous System: Neural Anatomy, Concussion, and Spine Protocol

The nervous system governs everything - sensation, movement, consciousness, and organ function. This module teaches you to recognize a concussion from field signs alone (loss of consciousness is not required), to distinguish a stinger from a cervical cord event using the bilateral rule, and to apply the spine protocol in the first three seconds of a suspected spinal injury. You will learn the function of each brain lobe as it relates to concussion symptoms, how anterograde amnesia presents on the sideline, and why same-day return to play is never permitted regardless of how the athlete feels.

Lesson 5: The Cardiovascular System: Cardiac Anatomy, SCA Recognition, and AED Deployment

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes. The DAS is frequently the first trained responder on scene - and the first four minutes determine the outcome. This module covers cardiac anatomy as it relates to SCA mechanism, commotio cordis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the recognition signs that distinguish SCA from other collapse events. You will learn the complete AED deployment sequence, why CPR without the AED is insufficient, and how to document an SCA event and EMS handoff in a way that protects the athlete and the organization.

Lesson 6: The Respiratory System: Pulmonary Anatomy, EIB, and Airway Emergency Protocol

Every breath an athlete takes is the respiratory system managing gas exchange, pressure, and airway defense under physical stress. This module covers upper and lower airway anatomy, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and its distinction from anaphylaxis, and the recognition signs of respiratory emergencies including pneumothorax and airway obstruction. You will learn why the wheezing athlete who has always had asthma needs a second look, when an inhaler is the right tool and when it is not, and how a single unilateral breath sound change changes your entire response.

Lesson 7: Lower Extremity: Hip, Knee, Ankle and Foot

The lower extremity - hip, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, and foot - generates and absorbs the forces of athletic movement and accounts for the majority of sport injuries at the high school and collegiate level. This module covers the bony and soft tissue anatomy of each region, common injury mechanisms, and the DOTS assessment applied to lower extremity events. You will learn to distinguish a lateral ankle sprain (ATFL) from a high ankle sprain (syndesmosis), recognize the Ottawa criteria for imaging referral, assess the peroneal nerve after fibular injury, and document a lower extremity injury with the anatomical precision required for defensible reporting.

Lesson 8: Upper Extremity: Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist and Hand

The upper extremity bears the load of overhead sport, fall mechanics, and contact forces that the lower extremity does not. This module covers the bony and soft tissue anatomy of the shoulder complex, elbow, wrist, and hand, with emphasis on the injuries most common and most serious in the sport environment. You will learn how to assess the shoulder after a dislocation (and why you do not attempt reduction on the field), recognize the signs of a brachial plexus stretch, differentiate medial from lateral elbow pathology, and identify the scaphoid fracture - the most commonly missed fracture in sport.

Lesson 9: Thermoregulatory System: Heat Illness, Cold Stress, and Environmental Monitoring

The thermoregulatory system keeps core temperature within the narrow range that sustains life. When it fails under the demands of athletic exertion - especially in heat, humidity, and equipment - the progression from heat cramps to Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) can occur in minutes. This module teaches you to recognize and distinguish all five heat illness categories, to apply the "cool first, transport second" mandate for EHS, and to execute cold water immersion correctly. You will also learn why EHS is not a fever, why oral fluids are contraindicated in EHS, and how to document the environmental and athlete factors in a way that supports the medical record.

Lesson 10: Integumentary System: Wounds, Bloodborne Pathogens, and Universal Precautions

The integumentary system - skin, subcutaneous tissue, and its structures - is the body's first barrier and the sport safety professional's first responsibility under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard. This module covers wound classification (abrasion, laceration, puncture, avulsion, contusion), the universal precautions that are not optional, and the documentation required after any exposure incident. You will learn the legal distinction between general first aid (DAS scope) and wound closure (physician scope), the correct PPE sequence for wound management, and the OSHA post-exposure protocol that every sport safety professional must be able to execute.

Lesson 11: Spine and Spinal Cord: Spinal Emergency Protocol, Stinger vs. Cord, and Disc Herniation

The spine is the highway of the nervous system. Injury at any level can have permanent consequences, and the DAS's first three seconds are what determine whether those consequences are survivable. This module covers vertebral anatomy from C1 to the sacrum, the neurological territories governed by each spinal level, and the complete spine assessment and stabilization protocol. You will learn to apply the bilateral rule to distinguish a stinger from a cord event, manage football equipment during a suspected cervical injury, perform a rapid dermatome and myotome screen, and execute the EMS handoff documentation that completes your legal responsibility at the scene.

Lesson 12: The Integrated Athlete: All 11 Systems in Action

Injuries do not respect system boundaries. A high-impact collision can produce a cervical cord event, a traumatic brain injury, a SCA from commotio cordis, and a pneumothorax simultaneously. The DAS who trained system by system must now integrate. This final module presents multi-system scenarios that require you to apply everything you have learned - C-N-R triage, system-specific recognition, protocol sequencing, and documentation - as a complete professional response. It is also your final preparation for the comprehensive Final Exam, which will draw from all twelve modules and require you to demonstrate that the body you have been building makes sense as a whole.

All necessary course materials are included.

System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

• Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

• Windows 7 or higher.
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions
  

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.