Posted on

North Carolina Mandates Athletic Trainers at High School Football Practices and Games

A recent state mandate changed the role athletic trainers play in high school sports.

Now, the state board of education requires licensed athletic trainers to attend all football games and practices at high schools across North Carolina.

It is a policy that Henderson County School System has practiced about 30 years, but as of last year, all high schools must follow suit.

Tuesday morning on the steps of the historic courthouse, Henderson Country leaders made the declaration.

Local athletic trainers with Pardee Health, as well as students working toward their degree in the field were applauded for their work.

School administrators say these athletic trainers are critical members of the team because they already have a relationship with the student athletes and can act quickly.

“They know the kids personally. It’s a personal relationship,” Henderson County Athletic Director BJ Laughter said. “Those kids are being taped by them, they’re being iced, e-stemmed, you name it. So they know them by name.”

Laughter says it eases the minds of both administrators and parents to have a certified trainer on-hand should a player get hurt.

If a licensed athletic trainer can not be supplied to a school, a first responder must uphold these duties.

Concussion management and injury prevention are among the areas of specialized training that first responders must complete.

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Posted on

North Carolina Athletic Trainers train EMS and Coaches

Coaches from across the mountains took part in a clinic focused on sports medicine on Friday.

Mission Hospital athletic trainers hosted seminars in the Asheville High School auditorium and conducted demonstration drills for 135 area coaches outside on the sports fields.

The aim was to help coaches diagnose and recognize symptoms of injuries and illnesses during practices or games throughout the coming school year. Coaches of both men and women’s sports attended from area school districts and parks and recreation leagues.

“I think it’s important because, while we try to be at everything we can be, as far as practices and as far as games, we’re never there 100 percent of the time,” Matt Smitley said, a sports medicine trainer at Mission Hospital. “If we can empower them to use these tools and these warning signs than we can show them – or whatever it may be – to see this, can help get these patients, these student athletes, the appropriate care that they need.”

There was also a focus on sudden cardiac arrest throughout the one-day seminar.

According to statistics, Mission Hospital says that one competitive athlete goes into cardiac arrest every three days on average in the United States.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/mission-health-holds-clinic-coaches-22368.shtml#.Vc-09p1Viko