Sports Medicine
Benefits of sport participation and athletic trainers
Promoting the health and safety of kids through access to sports medicine services and education is our mission. To accomplish this, we place certified athletic trainers in Central Oregon high schools. This is the heart of our Sports Medicine Program. Athletic training services include injury prevention, clinical recognition and assessment, emergency care, injury treatment and rehabilitation. In addition, athletic trainers educate students, parents and coaches on sports safety and injury prevention. Our athletic trainers serve in seven high schools with more than 5,000 STUDENT ATHLETES at more than 1,400 SPORTING EVENTS per year and keep kids safe at NO COST to the students or families they serve.
Studies show that student involvement in sports is key to their overall physical, social and educational development. Students who play sports learn the importance of working in teams and collaborating, which helps them succeed later in life. Sports activities increase student success in academics, social interaction and high school completion. Furthermore, athletic participation decreases tobacco use, drug abuse and obesity.
For these reasons, we feel it is important to keep students participating in athletics, as well as keeping them safe. Coaches readily state that they are unqualified to care for injured athletes. They need the St. Charles Center’s Sports Medicine Program and professional medical staff to provide immediate and on-going care. Moreover, research demonstrates that schools with certified athletic trainers have lower serious injury rates better concussion identification rates and faster return to play rates.
It is clear to us that certified athletic trainers are the key to keeping young athletes safe and participating in the sports they love. We are immensely proud of our high school Sports Medicine Program and the work of our athletic trainers in communities across Central Oregon.
