Hopkins County Schools Receive National Athletic Trainers Association Safe Sports School Award
Program recognizes high schools that help to keep young athletes safe
Hopkins County Schools Receive National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School Award
Program recognizes high schools that help to keep young athletes safe
Hopkins County Central and Madisonville North Hopkins High Schools are the recipients of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.
Baptist Health Madisonville provides athletic training services to both of these local schools as well as four other school districts in the area. “Baptist Health Madisonville is honored to help our schools receive this important recognition from NATA, and we remain committed to keeping our student athletes safe during team practices and games so they can accomplish their own goals of great competition, winning records, fair sportsmanship and good health,” said Marianne Ramsey, director of sports medicine and rehabilitation for Baptist Health Madisonville. “Our goal is to lead the athletic programs to the highest safety standards for the players.”
“The Hopkins County Board of Education has had a partnership with Baptist Health Sports Medicine and its athletic trainers for almost 20 years to provide coverage at Madisonville North and Hopkins County Central high schools,” said Hopkins County Schools’ Assistant Superintendent Tommy Burrough. “We are excited about this continuing relationship and are committed to the health and welfare of our student athletes. This Safe Sports School designation exemplifies the highest level of safety standards and appropriate care.”
“We remain committed to the health and welfare of young athletes in competitive sports,” says NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC. “This award recognizes the contributions and commitment of schools across the country that are implementing safe sports policies and best practices to ensure athletes can do what they love best and have the appropriate care in place to prevent, manage and treat injuries should they occur.”
In order to achieve Safe Sport School status, athletic programs must do the following:
- Create a positive athletic health care administrative system
- Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations
- Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities
- Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment
- Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes
- Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions
- Provide or facilitate injury intervention
- Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan
- Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/education
- Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities
For more information please visit: www.athletictrainers.org.
About NATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) – Health Care for Life & Sport
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic Trainers' Association represents and supports 44,000 members of the athletic training profession. Visit www.nata.org.