National Athletic Training Month Challenge

Last year while watching a basketball game, I happened to notice our cheerleaders out on the gym floor doing a basket toss.  Most of the time I try not to watch our cheerleaders because just their normal stunting makes me nervous, but I just happened to look up and see a girl flying through the air.  Now, I am not an expert on cheerleading by any means, but I do know, from working for the Universal Cheerleading Association for a couple of summers, that basket tosses are not supposed to done unless there are mats underneath.  I addressed this with our athletic director and he said that we definitely needed to look into it.

Well this year I look up and we are doing basket tosses again.  When I confronted our cheer sponsor about it, she said that she had discussed it with our athletic director.  They had decided that it was a fine print rule and that, if they were going to follow that rule, there were a lot of other rules they would have to follow and it would cost too much money.  Unfortunately I did not agree with this statement.  If we are going to have cheerleading at our school, we need to make sure to follow the safety measures put in place in order to protect our athletes.

I decided to address this one more time with our athletic director, just to make my above opinion known.  Apparently there was some miscommunication between him and the cheerleading sponsor because he agreed with me and said that we would do what needed to be done.

Now not all situations work out as well as this one did when dealing with rules, regulations, and compliance, but I just wanted to give everyone a reminder, as we head into National Athletic Training Month, that we need to remember the purpose of our profession.  Sometimes we may have to have uncomfortable conversations or be the annoying person that keeps bringing up safety hazards, but we are all in this career because we want to provide safe environments in which our athletes and patients can perform.

So this month, do not just put up banners or make t-shirts in order to get the word out about athletic training (although those are great things to do).  Take the time to address an issue or concern that has to do with the safety of your athletes because, after all, that is what athletic training is all about.

We The People...

...of athletic training, in order to provide the best possible health care for life and sport, protect adolescent athletes, prevent and manage potentially life-threatening situations, and educate athletes, parents and legislators must act swiftly and advocate passionately for the recognition of our great profession as the premier health care provider for "athletes" of every type and nature.

Today, members of the Youth Sports Safety Alliance will be meeting with members of Congress to present the "Student-Athletes Bill of Rights" and their plan to keep youth sports safe.  On the heels of a day where several experts and advocates for safer sport making impassioned and informative pleas to shift the focus from safer professional sports to the safety of sports at every level, it is becoming more and more clear that athletic trainers must be part of this equation.

Only 42% of high school athletic programs have access to athletic trainers.

This number doesn't include the countless junior high athletic programs, and club programs where adolescent athletes are participating with out an athletic trainer.

“You wouldn’t put football players on the field if you couldn’t afford helmets,” said Dawn Comstock, an epidemiology professor at the University of Colorado. “Why are you putting a football team on the field if you can’t afford a certified athletic trainer?”

Demonstrating the need for an athletic trainer is getting easier, but we still have a ways to go and it's going to take action from we the people of athletic training, as well as the athletes, and parents.  Demand leads to action.

Help create the demand by signing and sharing this petition to bring attention to our fight!

Ensure Youth Athletes have Direct Access to ATs: 

health care professionals qualified to make assessments and decisions.

Unattached Chaos

Recently at my current place of employment we have come across a very frustrating issue and also a very frustrating conversation that nobody seems to have an answer for.  The issue is the idea of the"Unattached Runner" in the track and field world.

So what exactly is an "Unattached Runner"?  It seems to me that, although this individual is on your team roster, he/she may be red-shirted or have other issues that will not allow them to run at actual meets.  However it doesn't stop there. They are allowed to go to the same meet that your actual team is at and compete as an "Unattached Runner".  To me the seems a bit crazy in the sports world.  I currently cover Men's basketball and this would be the equivalent of one of my players playing in another league while we are in season and the coach actually encouraging this activity.

So now that we have the basics of what this idea is, let's dive into what makes it very frustrating on the medical care and coverage side of things.  Let's say you work at a university that has the policy that they do not medically cover financially any injury that was not linked to your athlete directly competing as part of the team?  So when you are at a meet and you are there to cover your team that is comepeting for the university how do handle all of your athletes that may be there also competing on their own?  To me it seems like it puts the athlete in a bind if they do happen to compete and get hurt, and now they are finacially responsibile for anything that pertains to that injury.  Their response is going to be "coach told me I had to go run", and honestly I cant blame them for now being upset.  So that is where the frustration side sets in.  As Athletic Trainers it is in our blood to take care of our athletes when something is wrong with them.  However, in the situtaion sometimes it seems as if our hands are tied and it is a disservice to that athlete that once we get back on campus in noraml activities becomes a team member.  In our world, from the day we start our education, we are told to always be there and be ready to help our athletes. Yet, this situation seems to cause alot of frustrating situations and conversations.

So if there is anybody out there that may have the life saving answer, I would love to hear how to handle this situation better. 

Thanks for letting me vent for a little while, hope everyday has a wonderful day.

"We need change"

http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-basketball/Winthrop-coach-comments-on-school-shooting-1111235

A compelling interview from Winthrop's coach after playing Ohio State... a nice addition to the blog yesterday.

Time to look within to spread thanks throughout

I had another post prepared for this week... I'll save it for the spring. It didn't seem right to be sarcastic and jovial this week. Despite the season of giving and joy (see previous post) our country is experiencing senseless tragedy.

Friday morning I sat in my athletic training room with a few of my women's basketball players. We sat glued to the television watching the madness in Newport, CT. Since then facebook wars have been had, reporters have interviewed scared children and parents who are still in shock. The media has analyzed guns and the process of obtaining them. Pictures have been released and families are grieving. Many have experience how quickly the world closes in when a relative's friend was a parent, teacher or first responder at that elementary school. Even this morning, a school was put into lock-down because of possible gun shots heard.

I'm not here to debate guns, violence or tragedy. I'm here to say THANKS:

Thank you to all of the teachers who care so lovingly for children.

Thank you to all of the first responders who witness tragedy all to often.

Thank you to all of the parents who hugged their children a little tighter and reminded them they are loved.

Thank you to all of the athletic trainers who act as families to their student athletes.

Thank you to everyone you has said a prayer, thought a kind thought or took a moment to look internally to see how they could make a difference.

The following post was shared by Pat Summit on her facebook page and I find it so appropriate.

"Here's a great idea. Don't know who thought it up, but I saw someone post it and wanted to pass it along. This is what each of us should do: "In honor of those 20 innocent lives lost, we are going to do 20 Acts of Kindness this month. One in honor of each child. This world does not need more sadness...it needs more kindness, more love, more positive." -Pat Summit"

Random acts of kindness are not random, they are intentional. They require you to take a moment and think outside of your self. Take that moment. Say your prayers, let someone merge in traffic, say thank you, leave change for the next person in line, pick up trash on the sidewalk or whatever is meaningful to you.

I know this is not the normal "athletic training" post, but it is relevant. As athletic trainers we spend our days helping others and bringing peace to chaos and healing to heartache. Yes we will all laugh and smile again. Yes, we should enjoy our time with family and friends. Yes, we should celebrate the joy of the season.

But may we take time to look within...

 

 

 

We All Bleed Red

With the Holidays around the corner, let’s take time to reflect on our personal lives and how thankful and fortunate we might be. As an athletic trainer, we take on many responsibilities and carry out many daily duties and tasks. Most of these tasks pertain directly to our profession such as injury prevention, evaluation, rehabilitation, but sometimes we are more than just an Athletic Trainer. Our student athletes spend their time away from home with their peers, teachers, and coaches and most of the time we find them in the athletic training room whether they are injured or not. 

Sometimes you may have the athlete that is always seeking medical attention for one reason or another and wonder why they are always hurt. Is this because they are really injured, are they involved in multiple sports, are they trying to get out of practice, or is it because the athletic trainers provide an environment in which they feel safe and cared for.

Students often look up to their Athletic Trainers because they feel like we are their parents away from home. They ask us for advice, they may just need someone to talk to, and they miss us when we are gone. We need to always remember, that the athlete that may drive you crazy, may live with a family member and seeking financial support from a teammate’s family. We do not always know every athlete’s home life or situation, but sometimes what they get at school is far better than what they receive at home.

               

So as the Holiday Season is taking place, remember that we are not just Athletic Trainers. In the student’s eyes, we are so much more.

                

December to Remember

It's that time of year again... evites, invitations, emails and red kettles. This is the time of year when people tend to actually look outside of their own worlds to others. We finally take the time to buy a toy for a child who has none. We feed a meal to a person who does not have that daily luxury. We drop our change off in the bucket next to the bell ringer. We attend a party to spend time with friends who we miss out on during the year. We sit down to a meal with family who usually are a phone call and drive thru meal away.

During this time we still have work to do. There are still clients to be seen, athletes to be treated and coaches to be appeased. Our profession is in the medical field. Injuries and illnesses to not succumb to closed schools or days off. My challenge is this: Let's take a moment, a minute, a day this holiday season to remember why most of us became athletic trainers... to help others. This time of year thousands of other people will do what we do daily, care for people. Let's challenge one another to push our profession farther, to do more, to be more. What can we do to educate? What can we do to bring light to our education? How can we mentor a student who is considering becoming an athletic trainer? How can we speak with a parent to ensure them we will care for their child? We will get all of the credit we deserve? Probably not. Do we do it for the credit? We shouldn't.

Please don't think I write this from my high horse. I get frustrated almost daily at the craziness in my small world. I have screamed at my computer, shut my door and maybe once or twice said something less than sweet under my breath, ok, out loud. With all that being said. There is something magical about this time of year. Embrace it. Renew your passion for caring. If it is getting out and doing something in the community or bringing coffee to the teachers lounge, take the time to care. I know it is frustrating to be overlooked for what you do, but don't over look others. Let's be the bigger people who continue to rise up and care.

Go decorate your office in your holiday desire, or call a mentor and thank them for the gift of knowledge, or bake some slice and bake cookies for the coaches who questioned you yesterday. Whatever it is, let's continue the season of giving, not receiving. Let's show others why athletic trainers are such awesome people.

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Giving!!!!