Bishop O’Dowd High School Receives National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School Award - Program recognizes high schools that help to keep young athletes safe
Oakland/January 22, 2018 – Bishop O’Dowd High School is the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award for its athletic program. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.
“O’Dowd is honored to receive this three-year, 1st Team 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 Jase Turner, Associate Principal, Bishop O’Dowd High School.
As part of O’Dowd’s safe sports approach to ensuring the well-being of our student athletes, O’Dowd’s concussion management program includes evaluation tools, “Return to Play,” and “Return to School” protocols and support involving a partnership between the Athletic Training and Academic Support departments.
“We remain committed to the health and welfare of young athletes in competitive sports,” says NATA President Scott Sailor, Ed.D., 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 O’Dowd 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
For more information about this recognition program, please visit: www.athletictrainers.org.
About NATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) – Health Care for Life & Sport
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association represents and supports 44,000 members of the athletic training profession. Visit www.nata.org.# # #