Athletic Department Receives Safe Sports School Award
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) recognized Brunswick with its First Team Safe Sports School Award. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes, reinforcing the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention, and treatment.
“Brunswick is honored to receive this recognition from NATA, and we remain committed to keeping our student-athletes safe during physical education classes, team practices, and games so they can accomplish their own goals of great competition, winning records, fair sportsmanship, and good health. Our goal is to lead our athletics program to the highest safety standards for our players,” said Brunswick’s Director of Athletics Ron VanBelle.
The award recognized the effort of the entire Brunswick athletic training program, led by Marc Strileckis. Along with fellow athletic trainers Ryan McGrath, Will Perkins, and DavidAylward, the quartet works countless hours to provide the strongest level of care for Brunswick students.
“We remain committed to the health and welfare of young athletes in competitive sports,” says NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC. “This award recognizes the contributions and commitment of schools across the country that are implementing safe sports policies and best practices to ensure athletes can do what they love best and have the appropriate care in place to prevent, manage, and treat injuries should they occur.”
In order to achieve Safe Sport School status, as Brunswick did, athletic programs must do the following:
Create a positive athletic health care administrative system
Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations
Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities
Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment
Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes
Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions
Provide or facilitate injury intervention
Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan
Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/education
Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities