Top 5 First Aid Skills Every Coach and Team Leader Should Master to Protect Their People 

You’ve done the course. You’ve ticked the box. You’ve practiced CPR on that plastic dummy with the weirdly judgmental face. 

And now you’re good to go, right? 

Well, let me ask you this: if a player’s ankle snapped mid-game, could you actually remember the difference between a sprain and a fracture?  

If your coworker’s lunch decided to fight back and they started choking, could you nail the Heimlich manoeuvre under pressure? 

Or would you freeze for just a second, fumbling around in your head, thinking: “Wait, is it 30 chest compressions or 15? Do I tilt their head? How hard do I push?” 

Here’s the thing—being first aid certified doesn’t mean you’re first aid ready.  

Because real-life emergencies don’t look like training videos. They’re messy, stressful, and they don’t come with a pause button. 

That’s why every coach and team leader should master these 5 critical first aid skills.  

Not just so you know them—but so you can do them, confidently, when it counts. 

Let’s sharpen up, shall we? 

1. Staying Calm Under Pressure 

Let’s start with the skill that’s often overlooked: staying calm when chaos erupts. 

Emergencies have a way of turning the loudest, most confident leaders into deer-in-the-headlights.  

Panic spreads faster than you think. One person starts shouting. Another starts crying.  

Suddenly, you’ve got a room full of people looking at you to fix it. 

The ability to detach, take a breath, and focus on what needs to be done is the first—and often hardest—skill to master. 

Here’s the trick: slow it all down. Focus on what you can control.  

Someone isn’t breathing? You know CPR. Someone’s bleeding heavily? You know how to apply pressure and stop it. 

Remind yourself: step one, step two, step three. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

A leader who stays calm becomes the anchor in the storm.  

Your calm becomes contagious. When you’re confident, others believe things are under control, and that makes all the difference. 

2. CPR and Using an AED 

When someone collapses and stops breathing, every second counts.  

You’ve got 4-6 minutes to keep oxygen flowing to their brain before irreversible damage sets in. 

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is a skill you can’t afford to half-remember. You need to be automatic with it: 

• 30 chest compressions (hard, fast, in the centre of the chest). 
   

• 2 rescue breaths (tilt the head back, pinch the nose, cover the mouth). 
   

• Repeat until help arrives or they regain consciousness. 
   

Then there’s the AED—the Automated External Defibrillator.  

If you’ve seen one and thought, “I hope I never need that thing”, it’s time to get over the fear. AEDs literally tell you what to do.  

They’re the calmest voices in the room during chaos. 

When a person’s heart stops, you need to shock it back into rhythm. The AED gives you the instructions, and your job is to act. 

Mastering CPR and AED use isn’t just first aid—it’s life-saving leadership. 

3. Responding to Choking Emergencies 

Choking is fast, silent, and terrifying.  

One minute, someone’s laughing over lunch; the next, they’re clutching their throat, unable to breathe. 

In Australia, abdominal thrusts (commonly known as the Heimlich manoeuvre) are not recommended due to the risk of internal injury. 

Here’s what ANZCOR guidelines advise instead: 

1. Encourage them to cough. If they can still make sounds or breathe, let them try to clear it themselves. 

2. If coughing doesn’t work, deliver up to 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Check the mouth after each blow. 

3. If the blockage persists, administer up to 5 chest thrusts in the same spot as CPR compressions. Check the mouth after each thrust. 

4. Alternate between back blows and chest thrusts until the object is dislodged. If they become unconscious, start CPR immediately. 

5. Call 000 or 112 immediately. If the person becomes unconscious, start CPR right away. 

And DO NOT: 

• Do not apply abdominal pressure (Heimlich manoeuvre). It can cause internal injuries. 

• Do not shake or slap the person’s back while they’re upright without proper technique. 
   

Quick action saves lives—but doing it right is key. 

4. Managing Soft Tissue Injuries & Sprains 

Ankle rolls, twisted knees, broken arms—if you’re in charge of a sports team, you will see injuries.  

Some will be obvious; others, not so much. 

Here’s what to remember: 

• Sprain = overstretched or torn ligament. 

• Fracture = broken bone. 

For either injury, your job is the same: R.I.C.E. 

• Rest – Reduce their heart rate 

• Ice to reduce swelling and pain (remove once the pain has been replaced by numbness). 

• Compression with a bandage to minimise swelling. 

• Elevate the injury within comfort zone 

• Referral – If you suspect a fracture or the person cannot bear weight or move the limb without pain, do not move them. Call for professional medical help immediately. 
   

If you suspect a fracture (or the person can’t bear the weight or move the limb without pain) DO NOT MOVE THEM. 

Use a splint, a bandage, or whatever you have on hand, and get them to professional help. 

Your calm, methodical response here reduces pain and prevents further damage. 

5. Controlling Severe Bleeding 
Severe bleeding can turn into a life-threatening emergency in minutes. 

But you don’t need fancy equipment to stop it. Here’s how: 
 

1. Apply direct pressure. Use a clean cloth, your hands, or anything available to press firmly on the wound. 

2. Elevate the injury if possible, above heart level. 

3. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, add more pressure, or use a bandage to secure the dressing. 

4. If you suspect an artery is involved (blood spurting or pulsing), you may need to apply a tourniquet. 
    

Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it’s confronting. But mastering this skill can mean the difference between life and death. 

Your ability to keep your cool and act decisively during severe bleeding situations matters. 

Don’t Just Know It—Own It 

Here’s the thing: knowing first aid isn’t enough—you need to own it.  

Emergencies don’t happen in slow motion. They hit hard, fast, and without warning. 

As a coach or team leader, you’re the person people turn to in those moments.  

When a player hits the ground, when a teammate struggles to breathe, or when chaos erupts, you are the steady hand that makes all the difference. 

Mastering these five critical first aid skills—staying calm, performing CPR, controlling bleeding, managing fractures, and knowing the Heimlich manoeuvre—does more than make you prepared.  

It makes you the kind of leader people trust. The one who steps up when it counts. 

Ready to Turn Knowledge into Action? 

Don’t leave your skills to rust.  

If you’re looking to refresh your first aid knowledge, sharpen your response under pressure, or ensure your team is ready for anything, now’s the time to act. 

Book your first aid training or refresher course today and take the first step toward becoming a confident, capable leader. 

Because in an emergency, every second matters—and you can be the reason someone survives. 

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