We would like to applaud the NFL and their decision to swiftly implement rules protecting the safety of their players. This serves as a great opportunity to once again thank our WWAD Safety and Regulations Committee that enacted similar rules in the early winter of '06 (after the 2 incidents in Lewis Center, OH). It also seems like a good time to revisit our Devastating Hits Policy with the group. Over the past four years, many of you have appropriately inquired as to why our policies are more stringent than other similar major organizations, such as the NFL. There are several reasons, and I am happy to readdress.
One, the overwhelming majority of our participants (87%) are not wearing protective gear (shoulder pads, helmets, cups, etc.) - this creates an environment in which our group is more susceptible to injury from hits than the heavily padded NFL players.
Second, I am married to an attorney, a very attractive attorney that prefers tighter regulations (law school will scare the he** out of anyone).
Third, and finally - our walkers as a whole are a sensitive, thoughtful group that has come together to defeat heart disease, cancer, 40 other diseases all while spending time with nature. They may not be prepared.
For example, one of our walkers may be trying to identify a certain species of tree or squirrel they happen upon while hiking. Then suddenly, unbeknownst to them, another walker comes from behind at full speed, leaves their feet, and leads with their head. As you can imagine, the situation can become very emotional in a hurry. More hurt feelings than one would expect to see in say, an NHL game.
These are the reasons we have strict policies.
For those with copies of our by-laws, I am taking this directly from Amendment 39, in your binder as Appendix Y-7. Rule 13-4 states that "no walker, without justifiable cause, may deliver an impact greater than 'x' G's of force to a fellow participant."
Our continent is a beautiful, diverse land, and we have regional variations in what is deemed acceptable behavior. To put it simply, different G forces are acceptable in different regions. For example, our friends at Northern Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ontario are able to deal and sustain blows up to, but not exceeding 15 G's without facing reprimand. While some of our Amish walks, no more than 4 G's is acceptable. Quite honestly, as physicians we are more concerned with the second and third blows than we are with the first big blow. With this understood, penalties will be much stiffer on second and third blows.
In light of our opening paragraph, please take note of Rule 13-6a. This is extremely important. The rule states that "any individual that is actively administering CPR is considered "defenseless". Any Devastating Hit (a blow to the head or the neck) put on said individual will be an automatic 4 week suspension of all Walk with a Doc activities." No questions asked.
We hate to take up your time with this issue, but we are confident you understand its importance.
