Athletic Trainers in Connecticut Schools a Must.

High School and middle schools sports programs in Connecticut provide a tremendous opportunity for young people to grow both physical and mentally. Participation in the right program with a coach that sees the student-athlete as a developing young person is fundamental to the growth and maturity of our young people. However, even with the right coaching and the best equipment, there is always a concern about the safety of sports. To keep injuries to a minimal level, the coach must teach the proper techniques and the school should provide quality equipment, and it should be properly fitted. Unfortunately, injuries may still occur. One way to further minimize the risk of injury and provide the proper intervention when an injury occurs is to utilize an athletic trainer (AT). These professionals are well-trained and can deal with the prevention and treatment of sports related injuries. Having an AT on staff can also help to adequately prepare athletes for practices and competitions, and he/she can evaluate an athlete’s readiness to return to participation after an injury. Having an AT present during practices and contests provides early opportunities to recognize injuries, especially concussions, and insures a speedy pursuit of the proper treatment and care of those injuries. Athletic trainers can provide a consistent implementation of an emergency action plan when needed and as first responders they can provide immediate emergency care to an injured athlete. An AT can be invaluable to a school district in preventing exposure to liability by developing and instituting a standardized policy and procedure protocol for all sports injuries, by overseeing the athletics insurance claims, by providing prevention and treatment education to athletes and coaches, and by helping to develop and monitor dynamic strength and conditioning programs that are free of contraindicated exercises.