"Who Takes Care Of Your Athletes
Submitted by Conklinl on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Medical
- Words: 2214
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"Who Takes Care Of Your Athletes
Who Takes Care of Your Athletes?
It is a beautiful day for football practice at North Mecklenburg High School. The head certified athletic trainer, Coach Nichols, and myself are sitting on the golf cart watching practice. Suddenly, the offense starts yelling for help. All I can see are the coaches and most of the team standing around one of our players. I stay on the sidelines awaiting instructions while Coach Nichols heads out to see what has happened. As soon as he gets to the fallen player, he turns and gives me the sign for the fracture kit. Once I have retrieved the fracture kit, I take it on the field. Once I arrive, I understand the big emergency. Our starting center has dislocated his ankle. His big toe was pointing behind him. Coach Nichols knows exactly what to do. After checking for a pulse in the foot, he applies a splint from the fracture kit and then removes the athlete from the field. Once off the field, Coach Nichols calls the team doctor and informs him of the situation, and the doctor instructs for the boy to be brought in. I accompany Coach Nichols and the injured athlete to the orthopedics' office where we learn that the player not only dislocated his ankle but also fractured his fibula, which required surgery. The doctor informed us if this injury had not been handled properly the outcome could have been worse, to the point the athlete would not have been able to compete again. Would this injury have been handled properly if a certified athletic trainer had not been available?
Even though the majority of high schools are convinced that a certified athletic trainer is not required in the athletic department, there are numerous reasons why this position is essential for proper medical care for high school athletic teams. With the most important basis for hiring a certified athletic trainer being the reduction of injuries, the ATC also performs many jobs in the athletic training room including, administrative duties,...
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