Take One Minute

Take One Minute. 60 seconds. It’s not long. But in that 60 seconds you can watch the story of how a young athlete’s life was saved. 60 seconds is very important in this story, because 60 seconds is longer than the time it took for Claire Crawford to collapse on the volleyball court, the Athletic Trainer and staff to respond, and for CPR to be initiated. Can you believe all of that happened in 56 seconds?

Sports Emergencies

Recent talk on sports injuries seem to revolve around concussions and traumatic brain injury. Last week I posed the question on my Facebook and on Twitter asking if we were concentrating on concussions too much? On Twitter I was met with some comments of disbelief I guess and people were quick to point out the dangers of concussions. I understand the risks and dangers of concussions. It’s something I’m very passionate about and one of the reasons I got into athletic training in the first place. BUT as a Certified Athletic Trainer, I cannot focus on concussions and forget about so many other emergencies that can occur in sports.

Going to Rehab: Emergency Preparedness

Going to Rehab is a weekly series where I talk about anything athletic training. Over the past few weeks, I have tried to discuss topics about a certain part of athletic training. Contrary to the name, I have not yet covered much in the way of rehab. Don’t worry– that is coming!

This week’s topic is Emergency Preparedness. As healthcare providers responsible for athletic injuries, the Certified Athletic Trainer must be ready for anything. It is not unusual for the athletic trainer to be the only healthcare provider onsite at an athletic event and therefore we are responsible for emergencies that may occur on the field.

Reason #2 Your School Needs an Athletic Trainer

2. A Certified Athletic Trainer is trained to handle emergencies whether it’s a broken arm, a neck injury, or cardiopulmonary. All athletic trainers are trained in life-saving skills such as CPR and AED use.

As the healthcare professional on the sideline at sporting events, an Athletic Trainer must be ready for anything. Athletic Trainers are expected to deal with blood, fractured bones, and potential life-threatening injuries with a calm, collected demeanor. Athletic Trainers practice these skills in school and on a regular basis once they are working. An Athletic Trainer is able to determine when a body part should be splinted to prevent movement that could cause further harm and is trained to apply various splints to immobilize the body part.