Article reposted from UT Dallas Athletics
Author: UT Dallas Athletics
UT Dallas Associate Director of Athletics and Head Athletic TrainerTom Monagan was honored last week at the annual meeting of the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association (SWATA) with the group’s Excellence in Athletic Training Award for an incident which occurred on the UTD campus last fall.
Monagan, who has served in his current capacity at UTD since 2010, was on the scene at Comet men’s soccer home game with Austin College on Sept. 15, 2015, when AC player Harroon Ismail went down after a collision with a UTD player.
“On behalf of the entire Austin College Athletics Department, including our men’s soccer coach Mark Hudson and the family of Harroon Ismail, I cannot thank you enough for your actions and efforts to take care of our injured player,” AC Director of Athletics David Norman stated in an e-mail to Monagan after the incident.
Upon examination of Harroon after the collision, Monagan believe that AC player had injured his spleen and was going in to shock. Despite EMS responders’ belief that Harroon’s injury was just an abdominal bruise, Monagan calmly and insistently explained the situation to the EMS and urged the responders to take Harroon to the hospital for a potential ruptured spleen.
Harroon and his father were transported by EMS to Richardson Methodist Hospital for his injury. After the game, Tom was talking with Hudson, and he informed Monagan that Harroon had not only lacerated his spleen but had been taken by “life-flight” to another hospital for emergency surgery.
“Tom’s actions made a significant impact on Harroon and I believe helped to save his life that night,” stated UTD Assistant Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administration Angela Marin in her letter to SWATA nominating Moganan for the award.
She continued, “Not only that, his actions had a positive impact on that team, the coach, that parent, another University, and all who witnessed what happened that evening in September. I believe he epitomizes all that you want to see in an athletic trainer, and what we all hope is the great medical care all of our student-athletes receive each and every day, regardless of who they are or what team they play for.”
“Much is written about what is wrong with college athletics,” concluded Norman in his e-mail. “But your (Monagan’s) actions are a reason why I believe in what we all do.”