Sunday, November 29, 2015

High School athletes risk more injuries because shrinking school budgets cut athletic trainers

High School athletes are being affected by the lack of medical attention that is a result of tight school budgets. Schools are forced to prioritize between giving students good quality education and giving them a holistic athletic experience that includes hiring athletic trainers. This lack of professional guidance is contributing to children suffering from injuries, as they are not taught the proper techniques and methods to avoid injuries that only athletic trainers provide.

As stated in the Washington Post’s article “Playing It Safe With High School Sports”, each year more than seven million high school students participate in interscholastic sports but not all of them are interacting with an athletic trainer. Statistics show that Hawaii is the only state that has an athletic trainer in all of their schools while state such as Oklahoma have an athletic trainer in only 26 percent of their schools.

In high schools, there is one athletic trainer for 300 to 500 children. This statistic is striking when compared to the athletic trainer-to-athlete ratio in college sports where there are two to four trainers for one college football team composed of only 120 athletes. It is important to recall that regardless of the level of play, there is still a risk of injury if athletes are not provided with the necessary resources and proper health care professionals to back them up. It is also extremely crucial to take preventative measures to treat school aged children as they are in midst of development. 

High school student athletes may be more susceptible to extensive injuries when they are not treated immediately

The difference between having a minor injury and suffering a life-threatening injury or medical condition can be narrowed down to whether or not an athletic trainer was present at the time of the incident. Athletic trainers are trained to attend to  a wide range of medical conditions that may rise from playing sports. These medical conditions range from but are not limited to heat strokes, fractures, cardiac problems, and head injuries


Head injuries in particular are becoming a growing concern for both parents and health professionals. With nearly 300,000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, that are affect both high school and collegiate each year it is crucial to address this problem. As mentioned by high school teacher and former coach, Tucker Schrumm, athletic trainers help prevent these injuries by taking certain precautions prior to the athlete starting his/her sports season. Athletic trainers are also said to be an asset to the development of the high school athlete.


As reported by the CNN article, concussions have proven to be high school athlete's worst enemy as these youths are at a higher risk for concussions. The article also mentions that when young athletes do suffer from a concussion, they refuse to report it whether it being out of fear of playing or simply because they are not aware of how serious a brain injury can be if left untreated. For this reason, it is crucial to have trainers that are able to recognize the symptoms of these brain injuries and enforce the health protocols that have been set in place to keep the child safe.

For injuries such as heat strokes, every second counts. It is said that the core body temperature of the athlete has to fall below 104 degrees within half an hour of the collapse in order to prevent further damage. According to director of Athletic Training Education at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Douglas J. Casa, no athlete has died when athletic trainers and medical providers succeeded in decreasing his body temperature to below 104 within the specific time frame. This situation, however, does not have a happy ending when a school lacks an athletic trainer that can be on the scene and provide this medical attention immediately. In cases such as these, the student relies on how fast the medical emergency responders get to the scene which is valuable time that may have catastrophic outcomes.


Athletic trainers are essential in the development of athletes as they prevent, diagnose, treat injuries

According to a National Athletic Training Association (NATA) document, athletic trainers are health care professionals that along with physicians diagnose, treat, and prevent injuries. Certified athletic trainer, Maggie Glass, believes that athletic trainers are fundamental in the sport careers of these young athletes.


Athletic trainers are trained to conduct pre-participation physical exams that aid to the prevention of injuries. These examinations are essential when it comes to making sure athletes are physically ready to begin practicing and playing in order to avoid injuries during the season. Trainers also have the task of educating athletes, coaches, and parents on the many strategies that help prevent injuries. These preventative strategies include warming up, staying hydrated, and strength and conditioning exercises. An example of preventative care is also helping athletes by checking for minor aches and taping parts of the body that may need a little extra support such as ankles, finger, and wrists.

Glass examining a student athlete
before practice
In terms of diagnosing injuries, athletic trainers are educated and have received training to be able to
effectively examine athletes who have suffered injuries that range from acute to chronic injuries. The trainer looks at the athlete's medical history, performs a physical examination, until he/she arrives at a diagnosis. During this time, the athletic trainer may also consult with other specialists to make sure they have reached a proper diagnostic.

Once the injury has been diagnosed, the athletic trainer provides the athlete with a personalized plan and assists the athlete with his/her recovery. The plan may include anything from rehabilitation exercises to manual therapy or even modalities such as electrical stimulation.

A lack of communication between coaches and athletic trainers can cloud the benefits of having an athletic trainer 

A certified athletic trainer at Metro Orthopedics and Sports Therapy, Mark Kang, believes it is important to acknowledge that even if a school does have an athletic trainer present, there are additional obstacles that need to be overcome. Just with everything that is new, it takes time to adjust to the emerging paradigm shift.  High Schools that have recently hired an athletic trainer will be faced with the challenge of teaching coaches and student athletes the role of the athletic trainer and why there is a need for them in high schools. If the coaches and students do not respect the authority and expertise of these trainers and do not utilize this new resource then there is no point in having an athletic trainer.



Coaches and athletes alike need to rely on their athletic trainer to keep them safe and should report any injury or concerns right away. However, this is not always the case.

Student athletes are doing everything they can to continue playing the sport they love. As mentioned in the USA Today article, the Safe Kids Worldwide study has found that 54 percent of young athletes have played while being injured, 42 percent of athletes have downplayed their injuries, and 53 percent of coaches have attested to feeling pressured by athletes and parents to let the athlete back on the field.

This information is striking since the health of these student athletes is being compromised by the lack of authority some athletic trainers have to keep injured players off of the field. It is important that the athletic trainers have a say on whether or not an athlete gets played. Whether or not they will admit to it, coaches may take on the role of biased spectators and being to make decisions for the sake of the team as a whole and fail to look out for the safety of an athlete. For this reason, athletic trainers need to be able to step in and respectfully challenge this decision. 

Hiring athletic trainers is crucial for high school athletes as the level of participation and pressure among student athletes continues to increase

According to statistics provided by an article published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, high school athletes accounted for 2,000,000 injures, 500,000 doctor visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations. Special attention needs to be given to this topic since, according to the National Federation of High Schools, there has been a 37% increase in the number of boys and girls that participate in sports. Keeping this new wave of athletes safe should be of top priority for school officials.


Athletes are taking matters into their own hands and are choosing to play injured. According to the Safe Kids Worldwide study, 18 percent of the kids that played injured chose to do so because they believed their injury "wasn't that bad", 13 percent "couldn't let the team down, and 12 percent "did not want to get benched". These results are astonishing as they reflect the pressure these children are putting on themselves to play. The kids would rather push through the pain than let their team down.

By acting in this manner, children are putting themselves at a higher risk of a severe injury by going back into the game. Having a coach present during practices and especially during the games is not enough to keep athletes safe. High School athletes, as well as athletes in general, need to understand that choosing to ignore an injury for the sake of playing and not letting their team down is actually making the situation worse. Athletic trainers help ease the transition from playing to resting on the bench by educating both parents and athletes on the importance of resting and providing them with a rehabilitation plan.



No comments:

Post a Comment