Keeping athletes free from injury and getting them back in the game safely is the goal of McLeod Sports Medicine Certified Athletic Trainers. McLeod Athletic Trainers are located in high schools and colleges throughout the region preventing and caring for injuries associated with sports participation. Nearly 30 million children and adolescents participate in youth sports in the United States, and participation in organized sports is rising, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Recently, eight McLeod Sports Medicine Certified Athletic Trainers applied for and received “Back to Sports” grants from the National Football League (NFL) and American Heart Association to promote injury prevention in local schools. The grants cover supplies to host clinics for parents of high school athletes.
McLeod Sports Medicine Certified Athletic Trainers will conduct these clinics and address topics such as: concussion awareness, heat and hydration, cardiac arrest and proper response, and the prevention of overuse injuries. They will also work with coaches at these schools to ensure they are up to date with Emergency Action Planning and current CPR guidelines.
The following schools have been awarded “Back to Sports” grants: South Florence High School (Sarah Shaeffer, ATC), Wilson High School (Brian Pettis, ATC), West Florence High School (Dave Heim, ATC), Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School (Adam Ploeg, ATC), Mullins High School (Jessica Lowe, ATC), Pee Dee Academy (Brian Lowe, ATC), Robert E. Lee Academy (Dave Stoklosa, ATC), and Darlington High School (Jake Webster, ATC).
McLeod Sports Medicine has 23 Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) on staff who provide medical care to athletes of 21 high schools in the counties of Florence, Darlington, Marion, Horry, Dillon, Lee, Marlboro, and Chesterfield. They also provide athletic training services to the Florence Red Wolves, Francis Marion University and Florence – Darlington Technical College. The goal of an athletic trainer is to prevent injuries, provide timely access to care and manage day to day sport injuries to help keep athletes participating in their sport. Certified Athletic Trainers are state licensed and Nationally Accredited by the Board of Certification.
For more information on preventing sports-related injuries, contact McLeod Sports Medicine at 843-777-5139.