MEDIA RELEASE
Brooksville - By unanimous vote, the Hernando School Board approved the addition of 5 certified and licensed AthleticTrainers at last night's school board meeting. Each athletic trainer will be assigned to one of the district's high schoolsand will provide services to middle school programs as well. The new position aligns with the district's commitment to student wellness and is funded through the additional millage funds approved by voters in 2021.
The position will require a bachelor's degree and candidates must be certified as an Athletic Trainer by the Board of Certification (BOC) and licensed as an Athletic Trainer by the Florida Board of Athletic Training. The district is hopeful that all 5 athletic trainers will be hired, and in place, prior to the start of spring conditioning. "For the past several years, we have been working to include knowledgeable and skilled trainers to our athletic programs," said Steve Crognale, the district's Athletic Director. "We never want our student-athletes to get injured but, with the expertise of athletic trainers immediately available to them, we can prevent more serious injury and in many cases, athletic trainers can help athletes avoid injury altogether."
Athletic Trainers will directly support the student-athlete by:
- Implementing care and prevention of athletic injury.
- Assessing and treating athletic injuries including administering CPR and First Aid.
- Conducting and carrying out initial assessments of an athlete’s injury or illness to determine if immediate emergency assistance is needed and provide continued care.
- Caring for athletic injuries using physical therapy equipment, techniques and treatment.
- Evaluating athletes’ readiness to participate in sporting events and providing clearance when necessary.
- Apply protective or injury preventive devices such as bandages, tape, braces, etc.
School athletic trainers will also work with parents to determine or recommend if any further medical treatment or evaluation by a physician might be needed and will collaborate with physicians to develop and implement a comprehensive rehabilitation program for injured athletes. They will be key partners to coaches assisting in the designing and implementing of conditioning programs that improve athletic performance.
The Athletic Trainers will travel with teams to assist at sporting events and will be present for offseason, summer, preseason conditioning and in-season practices. "Having these professionals immediately available and involved in our athletic programs will certainly provide an additional level of safety for our student-athletes and we're really pleased to be able to offer that additional measure of care," Crognale added.