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For immediate release:  May 10, 2007 (Clyde, NC)

HRMC and Haywood County Schools Partner to Prevent Injury in Middle School Athletes by Marian Larson

Sports medicine is an integral part of any athletic program. And thanks to a collaboration between Haywood Regional Medical Center, Christofer Catterson, M.D. and the Haywood County School System, this is one of the few places in the country that does sports-specific training and injury prevention for middle-school aged students.

Dr. Bill Nolte, associate superintendent of Haywood County Schools, noted, "This program has been a true collaborative effort between the hospital and the school system, with the hospital taking the lead and providing wonderful services."

He further explained that academic performance and athletic performance go hand in hand. "In the old days, there were many conversations across the country about athletics versus academics. Today, we realize that athletics and academics are not exclusive. Today's athletes also tend to be some of our best students.”

Middle school athletics are more intense than they used to be, according to HRMC Sports Medicine Coordinator Doug Scarborough, MPT, MTC. Students this age haven't reached their growth peak yet, so they are more prone to injuries. And there are simply more kids playing sports at younger ages, he explained.
It's been two years since Haywood County implemented an athletic training program at the middle school level. An HRMC certified athletic trainer travels between the three middle schools - Bethel, Canton, and Waynesville - every day to work with students. She tries to be at most athletic practices and games, assisting coaches and assessing injuries as they occur.

"It provides a level of comfort for coaches, parents and athletes that we have trained specialists to deal with injuries and the prevention of them," said Steve Williams, student services director for Haywood County Schools.

Williams, who coached football, basketball and boys track coach at Canton Junior High School and Pisgah High School, said that years ago, coaches were limited in their ability to treat injuries.

"In my days of coaching, we didn't have as much training, expertise or resources as coaches do today. The concept of sports medicine and athletic training was pretty much exclusive to high schools," Williams explained. "In most places, it's still strictly a high school thing."

But over the years, injuries have increased in the middle-school age bracket. There are as many injuries, if not more, at the middle school level as there are at the high school level, said Scarborough.

"These students are growing and changing a lot more than high school kids, so their coordination levels can vary pretty considerably," Scarborough said.

For example, a few years ago, a Bethel Middle School student fell on a football while playing in a game. Coaches pulled him out of the game, assuming he just had the breath knocked out of him.

But after the HRMC trainer examined him, she realized that he had an internal injury and advised the student's parents to take him to the emergency room. Doctors verified that he had a lacerated liver.

"In my 25 years of coaching, I've never had an injury like that. If we had put the student back in the game, who knows what would've happened? Those trainers might have saved his life," said Sheree West, Bethel's athletic director.
West said that, as a coach, it's a nice luxury to be able to turn an injured athlete over to a qualified trainer. The trainers always consider what's best for the student, she said.

"If the student can still play, the trainer sends them right back into the game. But if the injury is serious, they'll keep them out. They haven't gone overboard one way or the other. They are fair and competent, willing to do whatever we ask them to," West said. "They've really enhanced our program."