King’s Daughters Medical Center and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association recently awarded the Safe Sports School Award to the following schools – Bogue Chitto Attendance Center, Brookhaven Academy, Copiah Academy, Enterprise Attendance Center, Wesson Attendance Center and West Lincoln Attendance Center.

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.

Lauren Self, Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), for King’s Daughters stated, “Receiving the Safe Sports School award presented by the National Athletic Trainers Association is a great honor. This award recognizes the hard work and dedication that each one of our ATC’s and schools provide to our student athletes. This process took many months of hard work by everyone involved. Individual schools have been awarded a first place team award, they are the first six schools in the state of Mississippi to qualify and complete this process. We are fortunate to work for a hospital like King’s Daughters that encourages the pursuit of this award and a great support in always ensuring student athlete safety. ”

“King’s Daughters is honored that our schools were awarded the First Team recognition from NATA. We are committed to each school, to keep our student athletes safe during physical education classes, team practices and games. We can accomplish the goals of great competition, fair sportsmanship and good health. Our goal is to lead our athletic programs to the highest safety standards for our players,” said Lee Dunaway, ATC-PTA at King’s Daughters.

“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 Sports School status, 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 please visit: www.athletictrainers.org.