Secondary School Athletic Training Education Program

Purpose and Objectives

The University of West Alabama Athletic Training and Sports Medicine Center was established in 1986 to organize and formalize efforts toward improvement of athletic health care in West Alabama through education.  In order to reach this goal several objectives must be accomplished which include:

• Increasing the knowledge of coaches, physicians, and other personnel in the field of athletic training and sports medicine through both formal and informal education;
• Improving relationships between coaches, administrators, parents, athletes, local family/team physicians and other medical support personnel by promoting the team approach to athletic health care;
• Producing graduates that may be employed as teacher/certified athletic trainers in area secondary schools; and
• Encouraging the hiring of BOC certified athletic trainers by area secondary schools through public relations.

STAFFING
The Center is staffed primarily by eight full time certified athletic trainers, six graduate assistant athletic trainers and approximately forty athletic training students.  Support personnel include orthopaedists, family practice physicians, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, biomechanists, health & physical educators, and others in related areas.

SERVICES AND PROGRAMS
The following services and programs are provided through the Center:

Injury Prevention through the following:

• proper conditioning, strengthening, and flexibility programs;

• proper selection, care and fitting of equipment and supplies such as helmets, shoulder pads, shoes, and mouthpieces;

• protective padding, taping, splinting, and bracing; and

• recognition of pre-existing conditions in pre-participation physical examinations.

Injury Recognition, Evaluation, and Referral, by the following:

• communication with the athlete as to the history of how, when, where, and what happened when the injury occurred;

• specific questioning about pre-existing problems and conditions before the injury;

• modern "hands on" examination and evaluation techniques; and

• utilizing the current standards of care and recognizing the indications for referring athletic injuries to the team/family physician or appropriate sports medicine specialist.

Injury Management and Treatment by means of the following:

• modern primary care techniques utilizing ice, compression, elevation, support and relative rest;

• working with the local family/team physicians in day-to-day treatment protocols;

• regular re-evaluation of signs and symptoms to insure appropriate management; and

• secondary care techniques of cryotherapy, exercise, compression, heat, massage, support, taping, and wrapping.

Injury Rehabilitation, utilizing the following:

• modern and safe techniques using appropriate exercise to maintain and improve range of motion, flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength, proprioception and cardiovascular fitness;

• specific protocols, designed for specific injuries and conditions; and

• regular re-evaluation of progress to insure changes in the rehabilitation program as indicated.

Organization and Administration of Athletic Training Programs, including the following:

• setting up and organizing pre-participation physical examinations;

• guidance in designing a new facility or renovating existing facilities to accommodate athletic training services and/or the athletic trainer;

• working with local physicians as appropriate in securing a team physician; and

• guidance in the selection of athletic training supplies and equipment.

Education and Counseling which encompass the following:

• guidance to athletes, coaches, and parents in the areas of conditioning, flexibility, diet/nutrition, and similar areas;

• both credit and non-credit courses in the area of athletic training and sports medicine;

• serving as a resource center for information and advice regarding athletic health care; and

• providing athletic trainers, physicians, and other qualified personnel to speak to parent/teacher groups, boosters, and service clubs.

THREE PHASE PROGRAM
The Center offers three different levels of athletic training services to area secondary schools.  The first phase, Introductory, allows for injured students to be referred to the Center for athletic training services.  Event coverage is not usually provided through this phase.  Enrollment in this phase is not limited and is open to any school or program.  The second phase, Developmental, provides for a University athletic trainer to visit school campuses regularly to help develop and improve the total athletic health care program.  The Comprehensive Phase is primarily for those schools and programs that already have regular daily access to a NATABOC certified athletic trainer, but would prefer continued support and use of the Center’s services.  Please see the detailed description of each phase for further details.

INTRODUCTORY PHASE
This phase establishes a relationship that allows the Center to provide assistance, advice, information, and educational services to the secondary school.  The services and programs of the Center are available to the secondary school athlete by visits to The University of West Alabama Campus.  Coaches, parents, principals, physicians, and other personnel from the school may request services by contacting one of the University athletic trainers at the Center.  Referral of injured athletes for evaluation, further referral, management, and rehabilitation advice should be made in advance by telephone.  Communication between coaches, parents, principals, boosters, and other personnel is emphasized.

The Center does not provide athletic trainers for game coverage or other visits to the secondary school.  One of the University athletic trainers may visit the school on rare occasions but not more than a few times annually

There is a $130.00 charge for these services to defray expenses for expendable supplies, materials, postage, duplication, and telephone.  This phase is subject to the availability of staff and facilities.  The University of West Alabama Varsity athletic program and other University programs receive first priority in terms of staff and facility usage.

DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE
The developmental phase consists of the Center providing University athletic trainers to visit school campuses regularly to help develop and improve the total athletic health care program.  This phase involves The University of West Alabama athletic trainers accompanied by UWA athletic training students working directly with the administration, coaching staff and local physicians in many ways to bring about improvements in the school’s athletic health care program.

During these visits to the secondary school, the University athletic trainers, in an advisory capacity, will be able to assist in evaluation, referral, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries/illnesses.  It is emphasized that assistance is provided in strictly an advisory capacity and is not designed to and does not in any way relieve the school of its legal responsibility for providing athletic injury/illness prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation for its student athletes.  University athletic trainers will focus on educating the school's primary athletic injury contact person(s) through regular contact and consultation concerning athletic injuries/illnesses.  Injured athletes may still be referred to the Center at The University of West Alabama, if necessary.

Additional services provided by The University of West Alabama athletic trainers during these visits include the following:

• Work directly with the administration, coaching staff and local physicians in numerous ways to bring about improvements in the school’s athletic health care program;

• In an advisory capacity, assist in evaluation, referral, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries/illnesses;

• Education for the school's primary athletic injury contact person(s) through regular contact and consultation concerning athletic injuries/illnesses;

• Assist in the referral of injured/ill athletes to the UWA ATSMC, local physicians, appropriate sports medicine physicians and other allied health care/medical personnel as indicated;

• Provide some limited athletic training services to assist with immediate care to injured athletes for local games and practices to the extent that time and personnel allow.

• Assist in developing a good working relationship between the secondary school athletic program and local team/family physicians, with other health care professionals; developing and administering educational conferences and courses for coaches, physicians, and other persons interested in the field of athletic training and sports medicine;

• Assist in obtaining a team physician for the athletic program;

• Assist in securing ambulance and Emergency Medical Technician coverage at local football games and events;

• Coordinate and arrange for more complete and improved pre-participation physical examinations administered by qualified medical personnel, including a thorough medical history, to be kept on file;

• Assist in securing and developing a room or area for athletic training (athletic training room or dedicated space) in the schools;

• Assist in equipping and stocking the athletic training area with various modalities and supplies needed through local donors and expenditure advisement;

• Make presentations to parent/teacher groups, boosters, service clubs, and other groups to increase local commitment toward improving athletic health care and hiring an athletic trainer; and

• Assist the administration of each school in developing criteria and standards for hiring an NATABOC certified athletic trainer.

There is an annual fee, based upon membership and distance from UWA, for each school to participate in this phase.  The fee, maintained in a special account at the University, will be used to cover travel, mailing, duplicating, special supplies, and other administrative expenses related to the school's participation in this phase.  This fee is not intended for the purchase of supplies for the high school.  Certain sports medicine conferences may have a reduced registration fee for coaches, athletic injury care personnel, and student athletic trainers from schools participating in this phase.

COMPREHENSIVE PHASE
The comprehensive phase is for schools that are self-sufficient in terms of most athletic health care needs by having actually employed an NATABOC certified athletic trainer and securing a team physician.

The Center is available to assist in recruiting and selecting candidates for the position.  Once a certified athletic trainer is hired, the Center is available to:

• Assist in evaluation and referral of special problems;

• Provide continued educational support for the entire athletic health care program;

• Provide continuing education conferences for the coach, athletic trainer, team physician, and emergency medical technicians: and

• Assist in filling the athletic training position should a vacancy occur.

In the comprehensive phase all services and programs of the Center are available as in the introductory phase.  There is a $130.00 charge for this phase to defray expenses for expendable supplies, materials, postage, duplication, etc.