By Christopher Massari
•
January 8, 2025
Below are guidelines and rules that every Swedesboro Jiu-Jitsu family and student should follow to minimize the risk to themselves and the entire academy: Street shoes should never be worn on the practice mats. Always wear sandals, crocs, shoes, or some foot covering when leaving the mats and washing your feet in the cleaning bath before re-entering the mat. DO NOT walk barefoot into the bathroom and return to the mat. Students should shower immediately after EVERY practice and competition, without exception. Please emphasize to your child the importance of thoroughly cleaning every square inch of their body to get the "mat cooties" off. Liquid soap is better than bar soap since many types of skin infections can live on a wet bar of soap. This can cause recurrence of the skin infection and possibly spread it to other family members. Several commercially available anti-bacterial products were specifically designed for wrestlers and Jiu-Jitsu; Defense Soap and Wipes is one example. Practice clothes should be washed after every practice. Other equipment (shoes, headgear, kneepads, duffel bags, gloves, etc.) should be cleaned and disinfected periodically. All new equipment should be cleaned and disinfected before the first practice. Students should keep their fingernails trimmed short to prevent scratching themselves or their opponents. Any rough edges should be filed or trimmed. DO NOT practice if you are sick, even if it's only a cold. Students with a fever or any potentially contagious illness should not participate to prevent the spread to the other participants. Watch film, practice alone, and go for a run, but do not practice if you are sick because you can spread illness to other students and the coaching staff. And if coaches are ill and cannot teach, that affects the entire academy. Don't let abrasions or open sores go without evaluation by your coach. If a student has any rash, lesion, or other indication of an infectious disease, they will sit out of practice to prevent spreading the disease to hundreds of others in the school. Covering the affected area with a shirt or bandage is not an acceptable remedy. A note from a doctor stating that the skin problem is not contagious can be considered. If any of our coaches find out a student is sick or has an abrasion, rash, or skin abnormality, we will ask you to leave the mat. To avoid embarrassment, see a doctor if you have skin abnormalities, or if you are sick, please wait until it passes. Your health not only affects you, but it affects the entire student body and coaching staff. Ringworm, staph, or even the common cold can and will spread through the student body, potentially shutting down classes or causing teammates to miss out on training time. We ask students and parents to ensure they follow these guidelines, examine their and their children's skin, and take the proper hygiene steps to keep the entire team healthy and safe.