In honor of National Athletic Training Month this March, Pearland Independent School District proudly recognizes the contributions of its six athletic trainers.
These healthcare professionals include Dawson High School’s Chris Shaddock (head), Gretchen Carter and Roderick Williams and Pearland High School’s Matt Thomas (head), Jill Flowers and Monica Jackson.
Throughout March, athletic trainers, or ATs, nationwide will educate athletes, patients, clients and the public about the importance and value of their work.
Collaborating with physicians, ATs work with individuals who are physically active or participate in sports, helping to prevent, treat and rehabilitate musculoskeletal injuries and sports-related illnesses.
Unlike ATs, personal trainers focus solely on fitness and conditioning.
In addition to treating injuries at the high school level, Pearland ISD’s ATs also evaluate injuries at the junior high campuses and schedule therapy in the high school athletic training clinics or with doctors specializing in sports injuries.
“A Safer Approach to Work, Life and Sport” is the 2016 National Athletic Training Month theme, focusing on ATs’ expert care for individuals from the moment of injury, through rehabilitation and to eventual return to physical activity.
Both DHS and PHS will host National Athletic Training Month events:
March 21, 6 p.m.: Free hotdog night and sixth annual hotdog-eating contest during Lady Eagles vs. George Ranch girls’ soccer game at DHS]]>
March 24, 6-8 p.m.: Free snow cone night at PHS Softball and Baseball Complex (Oilers varsity softball vs. Manvel and sub-varsity baseball vs. The Woodlands)]]>
In addition, throughout March, DHS ATs invite any young injured athlete from the Pearland Little League, Pearland Youth Football League, Pearland United or other local youth sports organization to the DHS athletic training clinic for evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of his or her injury.