Preventing athletic injury before it's too late

The rock-hard ball hits junior Christina Do's head at full speed in front of a stunned stadium crowd. Do falls to the ground, weak-kneed, as coaches hover over her, waving their hands in front of her eyes. After several minutes, she stumbles off the field with assistance, momentarily collapsing again upon reaching the benches. Twenty minutes and a wave of drowsiness later, the coach calls an ambulance for her.

Although serious injuries don't occur at every game, incidents like Do's concussion at the field hockey game against Seneca Valley on Sept. 15 signal the need to have trained medical personnel at sporting events. After an autumn filled with injuries and accidents on the field, a trainer is a necessity for the upcoming sports seasons.

In compliance with current standards, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) was present at Blair's football games but only to transport players to a hospital in case of a serious injury. According to Principles of Fitness and Energy instructor Nan Martino, an EMT is not enough to provide for the athletes' needs. At a football game this fall, there were at least eight instances where the referees stopped the game because of heat cramps. Martino explains that the coaches attempted to stretch out the athletes' cramps on the field instead of properly requiring the players to drink more water.

Although every high-school coach in the county is required to take a three-hour class on the care and prevention of athletic injuries, this course teaches only the minimum knowledge necessary.

Howard, Prince George's and Washington, D.C., public schools have a trainer stationed in every high school. In Fairfax County, there are two certified trainers at each high school, one of whom must attend each practice and game or the event will be cancelled.

Montgomery County gives each high school a stipend for 100 hours of sports treatment from a certified trainer each season, but schools have the discretion to decide the way the money is spent on an individual basis, according to County Athletics Specialist Gaby von Nordheim.

Whitman uses the money for a physical therapist for athletes. Springbrook contracts out to a company called Most Sports Medicine that sends trainers two days a week to check athletes on every team and provide coaches with health information.

But Blair spends the $1400 stipend on additional coaching staff with minimal medical training. Assistant coaches have been provided to the football, girls' basketball and girls' lacrosse teams. The money should be used towards a trainer who would benefit all of Blair's teams rather than one assistant coach a season.

Meanwhile, the training room in the gym hallway serves as storage space. Athletic Director Dale Miller says that once the room was in full use by coaches and staff, but now, "players take care of themselves or go to private doctors."

Miller explains that he is reluctant to hire a trainer from an outside company because of their connections with their clinic or office. Miller says that, in the past, Blair hired trainers from a company that focused more on soliciting business than helping the athletes.

But these fears do not override the need for a Blair trainer. In fact, trainers' connections to their private offices can be beneficial. Springbrook's trainers provide a direct contact at their private office for athletes who need extended therapy and provide discounts to athletes who cannot afford additional treatment. At Blair, athletes lack this extra support. Accord-ing to senior Carey Bartlett, who received several serious injuries playing for Blair athletic teams, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament, such a link would have eliminated the problematic search for a reliable orthopedic.

For now, Martino, who sees a trainer as a necessity, is volunteering with the girls' basketball team. However, this is only a temporary solution. Blair needs a trainer year round to provide for the health and safety of Blazer athletes.