Category: #AT4ALL

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Minnesota Athletic Trainers Covering All Bases

Article reposted from The Journal
Author: JAKE CALHOUN

When people think of athletic trainers, they typically only think of them as the people who provide bags of ice or tape ankles during athletic events.

And even though those are part of their daily routine, there is a much more important role that athletic trainers fill as educators and medically trained professionals.

For the four full-time Certified Athletic Trainers (annotated as “ATC”) from the Courage Kenny Rehab Institute (CKRI) at the New Ulm Medical Center, education has to play an integral role in what they do.

“Because we cover so many teams and so many athletes, education has to be a huge aspect of my job because I can’t watch every specific athlete perform their rehab program or rehab exercise through their strength and conditioning program,” ATC Scott Mangen said. “I need to educate them on how to do it and why they’re doing those certain activities and how it would help them to not only recover from injury, but improve their athletic performance.”

The athletic trainers from the CKRI are contracted with seven high schools, Martin Luther College, three youth athletic programs and the New Ulm Steel junior hockey team to provide medical services for the benefit of the athletes. Without them, injuries or anything affecting athletic performance would not be treated or attended to properly.

Staff photo by Jake ATC Scott Mangen tapes an ankle in the athletic training room at New Ulm High School. Mangen is one of four full-time athletic trainers contracted through the Courage Kenny Rehab Institute at the New Ulm Medical Center.

Staff photo by Jake ATC Scott Mangen tapes an ankle in the athletic training room at New Ulm High School. Mangen is one of four full-time athletic trainers contracted through the Courage Kenny Rehab Institute at the New Ulm Medical Center.

Marcus Hopp, the Sports Medicine Coordinator for the CKRI in New Ulm, said that athletic trainers act as the bridge between students, parents, coaches and everyone else involved in athletics.

“It’s all centered around the athlete, and these are all different areas that affect the athlete,” Hopp said. “We’re there to make the educated decision on when an athlete should return following an injury — if it’s safe for them to be out there. Coaches want athletes out there all the time, obviously, and it’s our job to make sure that they are safe to be out there.”

With all the extremities that can sometimes surround a student-athlete when he or she is injured, having the athletic trainer there as the informed medical party can mitigate problems that could stem from other motives or miscommunication. Because the safety of the athlete comes first, the athletic trainer is there to reinforce that value.

ATC Tim Seifert said, however, that parents and coaches have become more understanding of injuries than in years’ past.

“A lot of times kids want to play, but it’s for their safety that they don’t,” Seifert said. “Parents, usually they’re pretty understanding. Twenty years ago that might not have been the case, but usually we get pretty positive feedback from coaches and parents.”

Hopp does most of his work at MLC and is assisted by Max Pagel, who is also assigned to Minnesota Valley Lutheran and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop for their medical needs. Because the NCAA requires an athletic trainer be provided at all events by the home team, Hopp is delegated to mostly covering MLC with Pagel filling in wherever else an athletic trainer is needed.

However, because MLC has just men’s and women’s basketball during the winter sports season, Hopp also covers the New Ulm boys’ hockey home games as well.

Mangen is assigned to New Ulm High School, which houses more sports and more student-athletes than the smaller schools in the area, and is also regularly involved with the New Ulm Steel. Seifert is assigned to Sleepy Eye, Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s and Cedar Mountain/Comfrey, while part-timer Denis Berdan is assigned to New Ulm Cathedral.

Due to the wide range of sports in the area, the athletic trainers can be stretched pretty thin in any given season.

The sports that require the most attention are classified as “collision sports,” which have the highest risk of collision-based injuries such as boxing, full-contact martial arts, football, wrestling and hockey. The three prominent collision sports in the New Ulm area are football, wrestling and boys’ hockey — the latter not including girls’ hockey, where checking is not permitted.

With the help of three part-time athletic trainers, Hopp makes sure that everyone is assigned to a high school football game for the seven schools, as is required by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). Athletic trainers are also required to attend wrestling dual meets and tournaments as well as boys’ hockey games due to their classification as collision sports. Gymnastics also takes precedence as well due to the higher risk of injury.

“That’s where you’re more likely to have the more serious injury, the more catastrophic injury — the higher-trauma injury,” Hopp said.

In winter sports — when wrestling, boys’ hockey and gymnastics all take place — Hopp’s staff of athletic trainers rarely get many nights off due to how many events there are in the New Ulm area.

“It is a very busy schedule,” Mangen said. “I probably average working five-to-six nights a week during the winter season.”

The next tier down is “contact sports,” such as soccer and basketball, where the risk of injury is there but is not as high as collision sports. Non-contact sports — such as baseball, softball, tennis and track — occupy the next tier down where injuries are more likely to come in the form of nagging rather than abruptly through contact.

“The sport where you’re more likely to see the most injuries is probably soccer,” Hopp said. “Sometimes those are more of those chronic injuries, not the acute injuries. In track and field, we see a lot of injuries. Most of them are not serious injuries, but they’re your nagging-type injuries.”

Strength training, when done with correct form and proper supervision, is one of the most effective ways to prevent chronic or nagging sports-related injuries during the season. Strengthening the muscles around joints and ligaments protects them and can ensure that they suffer less wear and tear.

Proper training throughout the offseason — instead of just in spurts or limited amounts of time like some do — is the best prevention of in-season athletic injuries.

“Dynamic stretching, weightlifting — we recommend weightlifting to strengthen the muscle tendons — and general conditioning program, but that needs to start weeks-to-month prior to the season, not days,” Hopp said. “Offseason conditioning and strength-training are probably your two best things that can decrease injuries when the season starts.”

Mangen said he sees the highest amount of injuries at the beginning of the season because the student-athletes who injure themselves did not do enough training during the offseason.

“For example, track is starting now and some athletes may not have started running until track starts,” Mangen said. “It’s all about getting acclimated to your sport in time.”

On top of their involvement with the seven high schools, the athletic trainers out of CKRI at NUMC are involved with providing medical services to three youth sports clubs — New Ulm/Sleepy Eye Hockey Association, New Ulm Basketball Association and Rolling Thunder Wrestling.

“It’s good to be involved, especially with youth hockey,” Seifert said. “The coaches have to go through all the concussion training and things like that, so it’s nice to have one of us there if a kid goes down or has neck pain or something, we know what to do to help make sure it’s not something very serious.

“It’s great to get to know the kids and get to know the parents because usually we’re going to be seeing them down the road — in other sports or [on varsity]. We’ll likely work with them later on in life as well.”

Overall, being an athletic trainer is a demanding job. Athletic trainers typically spend at least an hour helping student-athletes prepare for games and an hour afterward treating whatever injuries may occur as well. They work with student-athletes and educate them on the proper ways to prevent sports injury and attend to anything that pertains to their benefit in terms of safety.

Even though there may be times when they may not look like they are doing much during the games, Hopp said there is a lot more work that goes into being an athletic trainer than what many see on the surface.

“Our No. 1 goal is the health and wellness of the athletes,” Mangen said. “This area, we’re pretty lucky for the amount of athletic trainers we have. If I remember my statistics correctly, only 60 percent of high schools in the nation have an athletic trainer who follows up with their sports teams on a regular basis, so we’re pretty lucky.”

At the end of the day — despite the extended hours and endless days — being an athletic trainer can have its rewards.

“The most rewarding part of my job is watching a kid get back to playing,” Seifert said. “Say it’s a long-term ACL injury of somebody I worked with extensively, watching them get out and play again in a sport they really like or being able to get back out there and compete again — I’d say that’s the most rewarding part of my job.”

 

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Athletic Trainers Lead the Concussion Battle, Says Neurologist

Article reposted from EIN Newsdesk
Author:  EIN Newsdesk

Fighting the war against sport concussions are unsung heroes making life and death decisions every day in the trenches. I’m glad March gives us a chance to recognize the National Athletic Trainers Month, because athletic trainers often get taken for granted, but they are always appreciated.

Athletic trainers carry the torch for the medical world, parents, coaches and athletes, into concussion battle every time teams engage in sports. Their role in concussion management is mission critical to preserving the health — and future — of our athletes.

Here’s why — They C.A.R.E.:

C ulture —
Sports breeds a “toughness” culture that easily overlooks so-called “dings.” Literally, everyone plays a role. We all can improve our “spotting” and recognize concussion symptoms including players, coaches, referees, fans, school administrators, and even politicians. But nobody plays a more important role than athletic trainers. They face the culture daily, and sit the players down when they have to, despite the conflicting motivations of the player, coach and teammate.

A pplication —
Athletic trainers apply the latest in sports management that they possibly can afford. Through their unbiased lens, they provide the first-line of defense with concussion detection and overseeing the consequential recovery protocols. Most people don’t realize how much work is involved with this process which begins during the pre-season with neuro-cognitive baseline and balance testing. The data collected provide baseline measurements which help medical personnel with authorizing the return-to-play clearance.

R esearch —
Concussions continue to be one of the hottest topics in neuroscience. Athletic trainers are the gateway to accessing data that will define the future of concussion management. The challenge athletic trainers have is managing data. Athletic trainers have the herculean task of managing all the aspects for all the athletes’ health. Most schools have one or two certified athletic trainers serving more than 100 or more athletes.

E ducation —
Athletic trainers are tasked with knowing and applying the latest in concussion management including concussion education, baseline measurement, sideline assessment, reporting and overseeing recovery care. With all these pieces, athletic trainers must be continually be educated in the nuances of concussion care.

Additionally, athletic trainers are required to have bachelor’s degrees with studies in nutrition, exercise physiology, kinesiology, and biomechanics. Most programs want athletic trainers with master’s degrees, accreditation, or certification in various athletic training education.

The regarded National Athletic Training Association (NATA) defines athletic trainers as healthcare professionals who recognize, prevent, and rehabilitate injuries that result from playing sports or other physical activities. They may be part of a complete health care team and work under a physician’s supervision. Athletic trainers provide medical and allied health care services to individual athletes or entire sports teams. Elementary or high schools, colleges, and professional sports organizations, as well as medical centers may employ them.

When an athletic trainer, who may be responsible for the health of hundreds of athletes at a time, has multiple concussions to manage, varying levels of severity, and recovery timelines, just managing concussion injuries alone can be a major juggling act.

The truth is athletic trainers deserve a hug of appreciation. Thank you for helping preserve the athletes and the games we love.

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Broncos, NFL help fund Colorado High School athletic trainer

Article reposted from 9 News
Author: Taylor Temby

From concussions to heat stroke to sprains and broken bones, injuries are not uncommon in high school athletes. These days, many programs rely on athletic trainers to keep their students healthy, but those can come at a high cost.

“[Adams City High School] has actually has never had a certified athletic trainer,” Adams City athletic director Joe Ladow said.

For years, coaches served as the first line of defense against injuries. It would also be left up to the students and their parents to take action when necessary.

“In a setting where you have this many athletes and there’s no athletic trainer present, it kind of falls on the kids to self-treat or parents to help if they need ice or any other medications,” certified athletic trainer Bria Witner said. “It’s up to the coaches to try and recognize if there’s an injury or if someone needs more water, or needs to take a break or if they can’t practice that day.”

“We tried our best to go by the protocols of what we learned in the various clinics that talked about concussions, and obviously being able to recognize the signs,” Adams City football head coach Jesse Jones said. “We did have volunteers, people who were on the sidelines with us that were able to spot a kid that may be a little woozy or something like that. Sometimes we even had the trainer of the opposing team who would lend a hand and say, ‘Hey, [number] 21 may need to be checked out,’ or something of that nature.”

Adams City has close to 600 student-athletes participating in 18 sports throughout the year. Now, for the first time, they will have a certified athletic trainer tending to its students.

Denver Broncos Charities, the NFL Foundation and Children’s Hospital Colorado announced the Eagles will be the beneficiary of this year’s NFL Club Matching Certified Athletic Trainer Grant. The $50,000 grant — which is split 50-50 between the Broncos and NFL Foundation — will place Witner, a certified athletic trainer from Children’s Hospital Colorado, at the high school for one calendar year. She will work a minimum of 20 hours a week, tending to students of all sports at practices and games.

“[High schoolers’] bodies are built differently than adult bodies and they have to be treated different when it comes to injuring certain body parts,” Witner said. “I think being with Children’s Hospital, we’re trained to see the different things that could happen in a school-aged kid.”

Witner’s role includes treating athletes for current injuries, rehabbing them from surgeries and preventing future ones.

“We want the best for our kids and their success,” Ladow said. “Having someone of Bria’s expertise working at Children’s Hospital, that’s just going to move us forward in that positive direction of what our vision is of what our athletics can become.”

Adams City says the addition of an athletic trainer will allow its student-athletes to perform at their peak levels, while also putting parents and coaches at ease.

“For me, it’s a Godsend,” Jones said. “It adds layers of credibility. I really feel like having an athletic trainer solidifies the culture.”
“We get a chance to streamline what we’re here for,” he said. “We’re here to coach the players, we’re overseeing various aspects of their athleticism from start to finish. When we have that at our disposal, we can relax as coaches and do our job, and these players know they have someone they can tap into that they trust.”

“We want the best for our kids and their success. Having someone of Bria’s expertise working at Children’s Hospital, that’s just going to move us forward in that positive direction of what our vision is of what our athletics can become,” Ladow said.

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California athletic trainers back push for state licensing

Article reposted from  The Press Democrat
Author: LORI A. CARTER

A football player bangs helmets with another during a high school game. One gets up slowly, a little stunned.

Off the field, someone asks him how he is. “I’m fine, just got my bell rung. I can go back in,” he says. He didn’t lose consciousness and doesn’t have a headache. He knows where he is and can see straight.

Should he go back in?

Who determines that, particularly in California, wields a huge influence on that athlete’s future — possibly even his life.

A certified athletic trainer would likely pull him and send him through a weeklong concussion protocol with a step-by-step return-to-play checklist that monitors his symptoms.

But California doesn’t require its athletic trainers to be licensed, which allows just about anyone on the sideline to make that determination.

“Someone could just say they’re an athletic trainer and work and function as an athletic trainer, and there’s no real law against it. That’s dangerous,” said Monica Ohkubo, the head athletic trainer and director of the athletic training program at Santa Rosa Junior College.

California is the only state in the nation that does not require licensure or regulation of such medical professionals, entrusted with the care of hundreds of thousands of high school, college and professional athletes who play in the state every day.

Newly introduced legislation aims to change that.

Assembly Bill 1510, introduced last month by Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino), would require licensure and regulation of athletic trainers by an existing occupational therapy oversight board and impose disciplinary action for those who work without proper licensing.

It would also create a scope of practice, codifying what athletic trainers can and can’t do in a medical setting.

Santa Rosa’s Ohkubo and others hail the effort to get California on the same page as other states — both for athletes’ safety and to ensure legal protection for athletic trainers and their employers.

According to the California Athletic Trainers’ Association, which is sponsoring the bill, many school districts do not require any athletic training education or certification, and about 30 percent of those calling themselves athletic trainers in high schools are unqualified for the role.

That poses a significant hidden risk to those seeking medical treatment, the CATA argues. Unqualified employees acting as athletic trainers in high schools run the gamut from coaches and teachers to administrative personnel and other staff.

The legislation has support from the NCAA, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the National Federation of State High School Associations and more than two dozen other related organizations.

No one has registered any opposition to the bill, although in past versions organizations representing nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and teachers have challenged the idea. Their concerns focus on the existence of already qualified practitioners and the proposed scope of practice, which they viewed as too broad, which might overlap with their professions.

Many athletic trainers in California have passed state or national certification exams, but those backing the bill argue that’s not enough.

“Anyone can say they are an athletic trainer by saying they are. It’s that simple,” said Tom Abdenour, former head athletic trainer for the Golden State Warriors and San Diego State University.

With an uncertified or unlicensed trainer, there may be no basic medical training, nor any continuing education on new trends, and therefore a greater risk of something going wrong, Abdenour said.

Parents and athletes have no way to know whether a school’s athletic trainer is qualified, other than questioning their credentials or work history.

“Also, in California, because we have no way to monitor or filter out unqualified people from other states, there may be people didn’t finish their schooling or didn’t pass the certification exam who are passing themselves off as athletic trainers,” he said. “We’re putting the public at risk because we have no way to filter them.”

Someone whose license was revoked in another state could also work in California.

Ohkubo gives other examples that might not be quite as obvious as the head-injury question:

A soccer player injures the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. She can still play and move with some pain, but it’s not debilitating.

“Now the knee is unstable and they go back in and blow the whole knee out, lose total function,” she said.

Or an untrained trainer “could apply a tape job that makes an injury worse or makes it feel like nothing’s wrong, and the athlete further injures it. The list could go on. Coaches should be able to rely on them. And they can’t,” she said. “It’s a huge health and safety liability and these school districts just don’t know.”

As the danger of concussions has become more recognized, schools and professional teams have placed greater emphasis on prevention and treatment of serious injuries.

At Santa Rosa City Schools, its district athletic director, Russ Peterich, has worked with local physicians Ty Affleck and Robert Nied in a concussion management group, whose members are pushing for athletic trainers at every high school in the state.

But more subtle injuries can be tricky as well, Ohkubo said. Athletic trainers handle issues as far-ranging as skin infections, improper equipment use, lightning and storm safety protocols, asthma attacks, eating disorders, psychological and mental health problems, sprains, breaks, sunburns and more.

But with no state-sanctioned scope of responsibility, there is a legal gray area for trainers, particularly for those who travel with their teams to states that require licenses.

“An increasing number of states, including Utah, Texas, Hawaii and Massachusetts, have made it illegal for an unregulated athletic trainer to travel to their state and work with their teams,” Abdenour said.

As a result, athletic trainers who treat their athletes in those states, as well as their employers, expose themselves to legal and financial consequences.

A legal framework would help protect everyone involved, said Mike Chisar, chair of the CATA’s governmental affairs committee and director of the sports medicine-athletic training program at Diablo Valley College.

“Institutions and employers are concerned,” he said. “They’ve been coming to us more recently, asking, ‘Would you begin licensing? We don’t have any guidelines about how you can work in our facilities. Everyone else has guidelines of what they can and can’t do.’ It puts them on edge.”

Abdenour, the former Warriors trainer, shared a story that he said shows the benefits of regulation.

A young lacrosse player in San Diego was in a collision and went down.

“The athletic trainer got to him. He recognized signs of a spinal injury and immediately went to work. Would the coaches have called 911? Maybe. But the athletic trainer kicked into high gear and made sure everything was done correctly,” he said.

“One wrong move could have been the difference between a paraplegic situation or not. But if we have someone who is making the decisions out of haste or doesn’t recognize some of the subtleties of the situation, it could be a problem.”

The bill is scheduled to be heard in a state Assembly committee meeting on March 21.

You can reach staff writer Lori A. Carter at 707-521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.

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Most U.S. high schools lack athletic trainers

Article reposted from Reuters
Author: Andrew M. Seaman

Many U.S. high schools don’t offer athletic training services and few employ full-time athletic trainers, according to a new study.

Private institutions were even less likely than public schools to provide athletic training services or employ trainers, researchers found.

“Athletic trainers really provide the knowledge, security, expertise and education to keep athletes on the field and off the sidelines,” said lead author Alicia Pike, of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. “The students can really focus on the benefits, and enjoyment of safe and fair play.”

The researchers write in the Journal of Athletic Training that the number of student athletes rose for the 25th consecutive year from 2013 to 2014. At that time, nearly 8 million students were athletes.

The American Medical Association and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association endorse the hiring of full-time and on-site athletic trainers, they add. Research suggest schools that follow that guidance have lower injury rates than those without athletic trainers.

Athletic trainers work with physicians to provide a range of healthcare services to student athletes ranging from minor bruises to sudden cardiac arrest.

For the new study, Pike and colleagues surveyed 8,509 public and 2,044 private U.S. high schools between 2011 and 2014.

Overall, 70 percent of public schools and 58 percent of private schools offered some level of athletic training services.

Only 37 percent of public schools offered full-time athletic training services, compared to only 28 percent of private schools.

Schools cited a number of barriers to hiring athletic trainers, Pike said, including budget issues, school size, lack of awareness about the role of athletic trainers and other school characteristics like rural environments.

The researchers suggest that ways to overcome these barriers should be explored.

Athletic trainers are a “vital aspect for the health and safety of the student athlete,” Pike said.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2m4gIBn Journal of Athletic Training, online February 23, 2017.

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History museum opens exhibit celebrating athletic trainers

Article reposted from WRAL.com
Author: Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

They might not get top billing at sports games, but athletic trainers play a big role in the success of athletes on the field, in the pool and on the court.

To celebrate their work, in partnership with the N.C. Athletic Trainers’ Association, the N.C. Museum of History will open a temporary exhibit this weekend.

The display will be outside the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame from Sunday through April 16. It’s free to see. The exhibit will recognize the countless athletic trainers who have provided health care and safety for athletes since 1950. A ribbon cutting is planned at 1 p.m., Sunday.

The display will focus on three areas, according to a press release:

  • Information to help the public understand how to identify catastrophic sports injuries and identify health risks.
  • Education on the field of athletic training and recognition of North Carolina’s athletic training lifesavers and Hall of Fame members.
  • Details about sports career options, including working as a licensed athletic trainer. After all, only 2 percent of all collegiate athletes from the NCAA go pro, but there are plenty of other opportunities to be on the frontline of sports.

The museum is at 5 E. Edenton St. in downtown Raleigh. Admission is free.

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KSI Leads National Grant Program for High School Athletic Trainers

Article reposted from UConn Today
Author: Colin Poitras

UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute is overseeing a national pilot program intended to encourage the use of athletic trainers in public high school football programs across the country.

The program is sponsored by the NFL Foundation, Gatorade, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS), and the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI).

The NFL Foundation is awarding up to 150 grants to high schools in four pilot states – Arizona, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Oregon. The $35,000 grants will be awarded over a three-year period to support an athletic training program. The number of grants issued will be at the discretion of an appointed review panel.

The Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut’s main campus in Storrs is overseeing the program and will conduct research to assess the its impact and the effect athletic trainers have on student athlete health outcomes.

Named after a former Minnesota Viking professional football player who died from exertional heatstroke in 2001, the KSI is dedicated to conducting research, education, advocacy, and consultation to maximize performance, optimize safety, and prevent the sudden death of athletes, soldiers, and laborers.

“The massive responsibility of keeping many hundreds of athletes safe at a particular high school should never be the responsibility of a sport coach or the athletic director, they have no training to properly handle this task,” says KSI Chief Executive Officer Douglas Casa. “We are very proud to partner with this grant program that has a primary goal of increasing the number of schools serviced by an athletic trainer and to enhance the amount of medical care for those that already have some.”

An athletic trainer is a licensed medical professional who has specific expertise in preventing, recognizing, treating and rehabilitating athletic injuries. However, nearly two-thirds of high schools across the country lack a full-time athletic trainer and almost 30 percent of high schools do not have any athletic trainer at all.

“The NFL is committed to enhancing the safety of football at all levels,” says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We are proud of the important work that athletic trainers do on the sidelines and in training facilities nationwide. We look forward to testing this pilot program as part of our effort to increase access to athletic trainers in local communities and improve sports safety for many more young athletes.”

The pilot program builds on the NFL Foundation’s athletic trainer grant program established two years ago to help NFL teams increase access to athletic trainers in their communities. To date, 20 NFL clubs have utilized these grants to support local schools and leagues.

“The NFL Foundation is proud that this athletic trainer pilot program, one that originally developed at the club level, is expanding to serve more young athletes,” says NFL Foundation Chairman Charlotte Jones Anderson. “NFL teams have long seen the value of athletic trainers’ knowledge and experience when it comes to health and safety and this program will help provide that same expertise at the high school level.”

Says Scott Sailor, NATA president: “The National Athletic Trainers’ Association is committed to enhancing the quality of health care that young athletes receive through access to athletic trainers. Together, we can ensure best practices are put in place in underserved schools to reduce the risk of injury and make sports safer for all communities.”

Jeff Kearney, head of Gatorade sports marketing, said the company was excited to build on the success of its 2015 efforts.

“For more than 50 years, we’ve been committed to athletes’ safety, performance, and success – and based on this experience – we know how important athletic trainers are to our mission,” Kearney says. “This program is an important part of our overall commitment to helping ensure the safety of the more than eight million high school athletes in the U.S.”

Says Rick Burkholder, PFATS president and head athletic trainer of the Kansas City Chiefs: “The Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society is proud to partner with the NFL Foundation, NATA, and Gatorade to increase the number of athletic trainers available to high school students across the country.

More information about the new grant program can be found at www.athletictrainergrant.com.

 

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Petition Asks for Certified Athletic Trainers at Maryland Schools

Article reposted from WCBC
Author: WCBC

A petition drive has generated hundreds of signatures asking the Allegany County Board of Education to provide certified athletic trainers for Mountain Ridge and Allegany High Schools. The board voted to begin a pilot program with a trainer at Fort Hill High School and that has proven successful, however when this years budget was finalized- trainers for the other two county high schools didn’t make the final cut. Cost for the trainer would be $50,000 for each school.  School Superintendent David Cox said the board understands the importance of  trainers for the athletic programs, and he is sympathetic to the parents,  but there is only so much money available…

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A TRIBUTE TO JACK BAYNES

Author: Jeff Stone

Our little “Athletic Training World” lost a true gentleman on Wednesday…

Jack Baynes’ star shined brightly throughout his career and on all whom he cared for…a warm, humbling, caring practitioner of sports medicine, he balanced his profession with a love of family and friends…

“The world has lost a beautiful soul.” Paul Lessard

“I learned from Jack…how to be humble and care about people.” Steve Kennelly “

As great as he was for his chosen profession- he was a greater person”. Jim Sullivan

His passing came as he worked daily to overcome his failing body, a task not ignored by Jack’s devoted wife, Connie. She became his medical advocate and worked tirelessly (sometimes 24-7) to monitor Jack’s daily schedule, dealing with his doctors and raising his spirits. She was his medical hero and guardian angel!

We all knew that when his e-mails stopped popping up for an extended time, his health was in question. If you were on his e-mail list to receive his musings, you were in a special select group. Laughter became his special medicine, and two of the best sources for this “medicine” were Frank George and Sully.

Above all else, Jack was a listener and purveyor of knowledge and wisdom, particularly to the hundreds of students he mentored at Northeastern. When “Koko” Kassabian sent you out of Cabot Gym shaking your head and muttering to yourself, you could always go across the alley to the Forsyth Building, knock on the hallway door to Jack’s spacious office, and get a dose of his “divine ministry of athletic training and life.” Like the old country doctor and church pastor, Jack would dole out his philosophy with a sly smirk and a twinkle in his eye…he always had the right words and the best outlook for you!

As charter members of the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts, Jack and Koko forged the early years of ATOM’s growth and development. Jack was closely involved in ATOM’s successful licensure effort, and established ATOM’s stability during the late 1980’s. Jack assumed the ATOM presidency in 1989, and led the membership with distinction for three years. He established regional coordinators to keep all areas of the state informed, and instituted ATOM’s annual Sports Medicine Symposium and Meeting. Many of ATOM’s past officers were students and beneficiaries of Jack’s mentorship. ATOM looked to Jack as the “eye of wisdom and experience” when Koko suddenly passed away in 1989. He wore that responsibility with distinction up to his passing.

John G. “Jack” Baynes received his undergraduate degree in Health and Physical Education from East Stroudsburg State College in 1966. After serving two years in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, with his wife Connie, he returned to teach physical education in his home town of Mansfield, Pennsylvania where he also volunteered as an athletic trainer.

Upon graduation from the U. of Arizona’s graduate athletic training program, Jack accepted a position as assistant athletic trainer at Northeastern University and was promoted to head athletic trainer in 1972. Jack was the Head Athletic Trainer for the Huskies for parts of three decades, and left Northeastern in 1995. During his tenure, according to Northeastern Sports Information Director Jack Grinold, “Jack asserted himself as a primary cog in the development of varsity athletics at NU, and as a leader in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).” Indeed!

Jack served as NATA District One Director from 1980-1986, and served on the EATA Executive Board during that same time period. Jack served as Vice President of the NATA during part of his tenure, and ran for NATA President as well. He was awarded the EATA Cramer Award in 1984, and delivered the “Pinky” Newell Address at the EATA’s 50th Anniversary Dinner in 1998. The first ATOM Athletic Trainer of the Year award was awarded to Jack in 1991.

Jack served the USOC at the Pan American Games held in Mexico in 1975, and was on the Medical Staff of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics. In 1992 he was appointed Chairman of the NATA Honors and Awards committee, a position he held until 2002. He was honored by Northeastern University with induction into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2003 and the ATOM Hall of Fame in 2005 as an inaugural member.

Jack and Connie moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1995 when he became the first full time athletic trainer at Santa Rita High School; also involving himself in committee work for the Arizona Athletic Trainers’ Association and serving on the professional education and licensure committees. In 2002, he became president of the Arizona Athletic Trainers’ Association, one of a handful of individuals who have served as State President of two different states. He returned to Massachusetts and District One to retire in 2006.

Jack was considered a mentor to many, and a friend to all…his folksy ways belied a genuine and true caring for others. His daughter, Sharon, said it best, “…the kindest, gentlest, sweetest man – my Dad…” Through his medical travails, with Connie at his side, he fought the good fight, ran the good race, and kept the faith… I will miss my mentor…Rest well, my friend.

Jeff Stone Past President – ATOM Past District One Director

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North Carolina Athletic Trainers Team Up to Save Referees Life

Article reposted from The Mountaineer
Author: Mikell Webb

Just 18 minutes into Wednesday night’s Tuscola at Pisgah boys soccer match at Memorial Stadium, head referee Alan Tenan collapsed on the field with an apparent heart attack.
Suddenly, bitter rivals  shifted their focus from the a match to coming together to aid Tenan.
Pisgah junior soccer player Justin Francis, who is also an Eagle Scout, rushed to Tenan’s aid and turned him from lying on his face to his back. Just seconds later, Pisgah athletic trainer Jennifer Frey, Tuscola athletic trainer Stephen Digh and three emergency medical personnel at the rivalry match rushed onto the field and took over the situation.
All focus was on the Tenan as both schools’  coaches and administrators cleared the area and  students ran to move the practice goals so the ambulance could drive onto the field.
Moments later, the Canton Fire Department also arrived on the scene.
Chest compressions (CPR) was administered with the AED to revive him.
“In the midst of a great rivalry being played out at Pisgah’s Memorial Stadium between two great high schools the soccer match was stopped as a result of an emergency situation in which the head referee, Mr. Alan Tenan, collapsed on the field,” said Tuscola Principal Travis Collins. “What I witnessed was the rapid response of the trainers from both Pisgah and Tuscola, as well as our two coaches and the players on the field.  Due to the swift and professional actions of our two high school’s trainers and personnel from the Haywood County EMS, Mr. Tenan received the appropriate medical attention and was safely transported to Mission Hospital where as of [Thursday morning] he was in stable condition and being moved into a room for follow up care.
“We are so very thankful for the cooperation and professionalism that took place [Wednesday night] in response to this life-threatening emergency and extend our thoughts and prayers to Mr. Tenan and his family as he recovers.”
Tenan was conscious prior to being transported to Mission Hospital.
Pisgah Head Coach Ralph Michael and Pisgah Assistant Athletic Director Casey Kruk postponed the match. At press time, the rescheduled date had not been determined.
“Obviously, the match was postponed,” said Kruk. “Mr. Tenan and our athletes at both schools are very fortunate to have such great athletic trainers. The EMT personnel on the scene and the trainers went to work immediately on Mr. Tenan. Because they had the right equipment and were properly trained, they saved another life.”
As the ambulance left Memorial Stadium, parents, fans, students and players held hands, made a circle at midfield and prayed for Tenan.
“We are so relieved and thankful this situation turned out the way did,” said Pisgah Principal Greg Bailey. “Both schools should be so thankful of their staff, their coaches, their kids and their community. How they responded [Wednesday night] is a positive reflection of the people who live here. It just makes you swell up with pride. We have fun with these rivalries, but in this situation, both schools stood tall because when the ambulance left the field with Mr. Tenan, everybody from both schools locked hands in the middle of the field and prayed for Mr. Tenan. I’m so thankful that he got to return to his family.”