High school athletic trainers are on the ball during games, practices

September 14, 2017 8:30 am
Lake Washington High School athletic trainer Delaney Farmer attends to a football player. Courtesy of the Lake Washington School District
Lake Washington High School athletic trainer Delaney Farmer attends to a football player. Courtesy of the Lake Washington School District

By Delaney Farmer

Special to the Reporter

It’s Friday night and the game is under the lights. High school football players are executing the Xs and Os the coaches lay out for them. Hit after hit, down after down, these young athletes grind it out to obtain that hopeful win. Then all goes silent. A kid is laying down and slowly rolling on the ground in pain. An individual is seen sprinting out to this kid. It’s not the coach (although they are quickly behind). It’s not the parent (although they are headed down from the stands). It’s the school’s athletic trainer.

What is an athletic trainer? Athletic trainers are health care professionals recognized by the American Medical Association, Health Resources Services Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services as an allied health care professional who works with and collaborates with physicians. The services provided by athletic trainers include prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions.

The Washington State Athletic Trainers’ Association (WSATA) has organized a “Safety in Football” campaign to promote increased safety in football in the state of Washington. The campaign ran from Sept. 1–10. Across the state, athletic trainers are providing their clinical expertise every day to improve the overall health and safety of their athletes. Keep a look out for the WSATA sticker on the back of the Lake Washington High School football helmets as they show support for the “Safety in Football” campaign.

The Lake Washington School District wants its young athletes to play hard, but also to play safe. With this, all four comprehensive high schools have licensed and certified athletic trainers in their respective schools providing care to our young athletes daily:

• Maria Garsi, Eastlake High School

• Tad Katori, Juanita High School

• Delaney Farmer, Lake Washington High School

• Matt Martin, Redmond High School

You can find these four athletic trainers hard at work on the sidelines of their after-school sporting events, ensuring the safety of our young student-athletes. Whether the teams are winning or losing, the athletic trainer is there to manage the safety and well-being our student-athletes.

So, whether you are at a Friday night football game, weeknight soccer game, in the gym for a volleyball match or just around watching one of your kids as they practice throughout the week – know that your kids are being looked at and cared for by a licensed athletic trainer.