For the want of a trainer, a tournament was lost.
On Wednesday, Coral Shores High School lacrosse coaches canceled a three-team preseason girls tournament in Tavernier because no athletic trainer was available.
Coral Shores High School lacrosse coaches canceled a three-team preseason girls tournament in Tavernier because no athletic trainer was available.
“It’s just not worth the risk” of injury, said Mark Hall, director of Coral Shores’ lacrosse programs. “Girls can get injured playing lacrosse. Boys lacrosse is a full-contact sport.”
Athletic trainers are recognized health-care professionals who assess sports injuries and provide emergency first-aid during games.
Key West High and Palmer Trinity were scheduled to attend Wednesday’s three-scrimmage girls event.
Coral Shores administrators “thought we had somebody coming in” to replace Adam Bort on a full-time basis, Athletic Director Rich Russell said Wednesday. However, the replacement trainer received a last-minute salary raise and promotion to stay at her school.
“Losing Adam is huge,” Russell said. “He’s an excellent trainer, in addition to having served as our assistant athletic director and a coach. He did a lot.”
The Florida High School Athletic Association does not require a trainer to attend games but recommends that a health-care professional or athletic trainer be present “at all sporting events, including practices, where athletes are at risk for concussion or for those classified as a collision sport, whenever possible.”
“We are working feverishly to come up with a remedy,” Russell said. “We definitely want to have a medical professional available.”
That could include hiring off-duty emergency medical technicians until the school staff position is filled, he said.
The Hurricane girls lacrosse team plays its first regular-season game Tuesday at Palmer Trinity. The first home game is 5 p.m. Friday against Killian High of Miami.
The boys lacrosse team starts its season Wednesday at Killian, and Friday at Key West High. The first home game is 4 p.m. Feb. 18 against Immaculata-LaSalle.