While an athlete waits for their ankle to be taped, another athlete finishes physical therapy just as another walks in to discuss a doctor’s note with a trainer.
No matter the medical condition, trainers at EC take athletes’ health very seriously, Kari Brody, senior athletic trainer, said.
With recent incidents of sudden student athlete deaths, EC mandates, “a thorough medical history from every athlete” and proper “medical clearance” to protect athletes from this risk. Also, athletes must go through a full physical examination including an electrocardiogram, Brody said.
“All of this information will help ensure the athlete is reducing their risk when they get to this level,” she said.
Even though there has been no case of a medical condition tragically taking an athlete’s life while Brody has been at EC, trainers have been able to detect medical issues early on to protect athletes. Any suspicions surrounding their health and trainers immediately refer an athlete to the proper doctor or specialist for a thorough check. Once an athlete has been treated for a medical condition, they must follow strict guidelinese to resume play, Brody said.
“Athletes will not be cleared by us to participate until they come back with the medical documentation stating what they can do, what they can’t do, what their diagnosis was and what testing was done,” she said.
While some athletes’ medical conditions are monitored closely, other health conditions that might put an athlete at risk for sudden death will prohibit them from playing, Brody said.
“Depending on the condition, there are some medical conditions that we won’t clear an athlete to play or the doctors won’t clear such as an enlarged heart that might put an athlete at risk,” Brody said.
Any athlete with a medical condition must have proper clearance from their doctor as well as the team physician before returning to their sport, she said.
“The trainers are really cautious and want to protect us from further injury,” Jonathon Pettit, libero for the men’s volleyball team said. “They are that shoulder to lean on.”
Athletes with cleared medical conditions such as diabetes are closely monitored and under strict supervision, Brody said.
“We make sure athletes are practicing and performing activities within certain guidelines,” Brody said.
Since most medical conditions that put an athlete at risk are hereditary, Brody encourages athletes to know their family medical history.
“This will inform you of any medical conditions early,” Brody said. “Things such as heart disease runs in the family, as well as high blood pressure and diabetes so just be really aware of what your family history is,” Brody said.
A few added tips for athletes Brody provides is to play the sport correctly and not put their bodies in danger. She also said proper nutrition is beneficial to athletes’ health.
With strict athletic policies in place at EC, trainers keep an “open door” policy for all eathletes to feel comfortable discussing any health issues or concerns with them, Petit said.
“For the most part, I feel like our athletes are very open with us,” Brody said, “and they understand that we are there to protect them.”
