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Injury Management Protocol
1. Contact Athletic Trainer, Ms. Annie Tomten LAT, ATC
Cell Phone: 419-205-8586
Office Phone: 904-693-7940 ext.224
2. If you are the athlete, tell your coach then go to the Athletic Trainer. The Athletic Trainer will contact your parent after the evaluation has been completed, or the coach will contact your parent if it's an emergency.
3. If Athletic Trainer is unavailable, and you suspect the athlete has an emergency-related injury, do not hesitate to get immediate medical attention – contact EMS or transport to nearest ED.
4. DO NOT participate in athletics until evaluated by Athletic Trainer.
A more detailed description of injury management is provided below.
“The Athletic Trainer has the responsibility to evaluate and manage all sports related injuries occurring at the assigned school. Therefore, it is required for coaches to utilize this resource. If a student-athlete is injured during a practice or game, the coach must report the injury to the Athletic Trainer. Coaches should not attempt to diagnose or judge the severity of an injury or an athlete’s ability to continue participation in practice or games. If an athlete is sent to the athletic training facility to see the Athletic Trainer, the coach must follow-up with the Athletic Trainer that day to receive an update on the athlete’s injury status.
The Athletic Trainer will evaluate the injury and work collaboratively with the team physician to guide the student-athlete for additional care. The Athletic Trainer will contact the parents/guardian of the student-athlete to discuss the recommended course of action. In the event an athlete requires emergency medical care, first aid will be rendered and the parents will be contacted as soon as possible. Specific procedures for handling carious injury situations are presented on the Emergency Action Plan page” (once activated – still working on updating website). – DCPS Policies & Procedures Handbook
Return to Activity Following an Injury
“Athletes who have missed practices or games due to an injury or illness must be re-evaluated by the Athletic Trainer before they are allowed to return to active participation regardless of referral or treatment by a physician. Please note, coaches do not have this authority.
Written clearance to participate does not guarantee the athlete will be able to immediately return to the highest level of activity in their particular sport. Therefore, it is important for the Athletic Trainer to re-evaluate an athlete in order to determine the athlete’s readiness to return to activity. This re-evaluation may include functional testing to determine what level of activity is safe for the athlete to return to participating in. Coaches must maintain good communication with the Athletic Trainer to receive clearance BEFORE allowing an athlete to return to any activity following an injury. The Licensed Athletic Trainer is the on-site healthcare professional with the responsibility and authority to withhold the athlete from practice or competition if they believe the athlete is at further risk of injury. The licensed Athletic trainer works under the direction of a supervising physician via an operating protocol providing this responsibility.
Any athlete who fails to report an injury or who fails to report being treated by a physician for a particular injury is in violation of school policy and assumes all risk for continued participation in practice or contests.” – DCPS Policies & Procedures Handbook