Article reposted from Pensacola News Journal
Author: Pensacola News Journal
Andrews Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics provided physical assessments for 50 athletes with Special Olympics Florida on Thursday at Pensacola State College. The evaluations consisted of balance and musculoskeletal evaluations and were customized for the sport the athlete competed in.
“We are providing a physical assessment for these athletes to make sure they do not have any physical problems that may impede their performance in their respective sport,” said Jessica Langston, certified athletic trainer at Andrews Institute.
Andrews Institute provides athletic trainers for all high schools in Escambia, Santa Rosa and northern Okaloosa counties, but for Langston, being able to provide this service to Special Olympics athletes is just as important.
“Working at Andrews Institute gives me a chance to be really involved in our community,” said Langston. “It’s really important that these Special Olympic athletes get the same access to care that we provide for all of our high school athletes and other athletes in the community.”
While Andrews Institute provides sports medicine coverage for local high schools, it also provides athletic coverage throughout the year for Special Olympics Florida events.
“It’s great to be able to perform these assessments now so when we are out at the events these athletes will recognize our faces and we can build those relationships like we do with the athletes at the high schools we cover,” Langston said.
Michael Stone, director of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties for Special Olympics Florida, sees this as an opportunity for area athletes to get access to quality care from Andrews Institute.
“When we go to the state competitions, several services are available for the athletes, but only about 15 percent of our athletes actually make it to state,” said Stone. “Being able to get these assessments from Andrews Institute for our athletes that compete in our area games is very important.”