NCAA releases long awaited pregnancy handbook

The NCAA has released its first pregnancy handbook – a long-awaited resource for information and support for administrators and coaches.

The Women’s Sports Foundation says,

“The first of its kind, this critical publication suggests model athletics department policies, a model student-athlete handbook statement and certified athletic trainer best practices. The final chapter shares stories of successful male and female student-athletes who competed while parents.“

The handbook assists athletics department personnel in establishing policy and also outlines the legal issues that affect treatment of pregnant and parenting student-athletes.

It is authored by Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a professor at Florida Coastal School of Law and one of the leading advocates of Title IX, and Elizabeth Sorensen, an assistant professor at the College of Nursing and Health at Wright State.

Frankly, I’m shocked that this document did not already exist. It will be interesting to see if coaches and administrators find it helpful.

The document, along with some background information on why it was developed, is located here.

Now, if only they had a handbook for the players….