There are many things that coaches and student-athletes worry about throughout a season, but one item that isn’t always addressed is the chronic health needs of student-athletes. Specifically, student-athletes with Type 1 diabetes. William Kugler, a senior at Madison West High School, recognized that some coaches may not know about Type 1 diabetes and, therefore, how this medical condition may affect student-athletes on their teams and in their programs. In partnership with the Endocrine Clinic at UW Health in Madison, WI, Kugler worked to create a basic guide to student-athletes with Type 1 Diabetes for coaches and leaders whose student-athletes might have this lifelong medical condition.
Kugler states, “I believe this would be a good resource for Athletic Directors to have and to share with student athletes with Type 1 diabetes or their parents, which they could give to a coach instead of having an awkward conversation that might be difficult for the student-athlete to have with a coach. ADs who know they have players with type 1 diabetes could also share this directly with coaches of those players. I think this resource could help a lot of kids.”
With hopes of helping to make significant and positive impacts on lives, sport programs, and communities, this guide provides a list of notes that student-athletes with Type 1 diabetes would want their coaches to know so that coaches can better understand this chronic medical condition these student-athletes face everyday. This guide can impact many student-athletes with Type 1 diabetes in positive ways.