SPOKANE, Wash. — The countdown to Hoopfest is on as the tournament is just days away. As organizers set up, local health experts are reminding participants about safety on the courts. Multicare shared multiple injury prevention and tips for the tournament.
Multicare will have several medical tents set up at the tournament this weekend. Last year they treated around 1,000 people for things like heat exhaustion and injuries. Because of that, they say preparation starts early and staffing is a priority for the largest 3-on-3 tournament in the world.
The integrated sports department for Multicare says they will have portable x-ray machines on site. There will also be ice tubs to help participants cool down anyone who may be experiencing symptoms of overheating.
Roughly 100 medical experts will be on site ranging from athletic trainers to physicians and nurses. Medical Director of Hoopfest, Dr. Nicholas Strasser told KREM 2 News, “Of course we do see unfortunately more serious injuries. We don’t want anyone to get hurt, but if they’re going to get hurt, we want to take great care of them. We’ll see quite a few Achilles ruptures most years. A lot of knee, ACL tears and things like that. So, it can be a whole spectrum.”
To combat some of those issues, Dr. Strasser says that stretching can go a long way. He added to arrive early, use the outdoor courts, check the weather and hydrate before you start playing. He continued saying that simple measures like those can be the difference between a trip to one of their medical tents or just a fun weekend of playing basketball.
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