The William S. Hart Union (Calif.) School District board took time to brief parents and community on how coaches are trained, and on a new website called the “Athletic Training Room” that was created in collaboration with a the local Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.
The presentation included information on injury protocol for athletes, as well as how local junior highs and high schools promote outreach to educate students and parents.
“These are probably some things you’re not aware happen day-to-day in the athletic program, especially in football,” Greg Lee, director of human resources and equity services to The Signal.
Lee said that there isn’t currently any national legislation that requires traumatic head injury protocol, but he added that all states have some level of regulation in place. He went into detail on how Hart’s program handle an athlete returning to the field.
The new “Athletic Training Room” was also unveiled. The site compiles information gained by the district since 2016, the year the Hart District and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital began exploring opportunities to raise awareness of athletic injury prevention, treatment and recovery.
“We were still having trouble educating parents and student-athletes on things, such as concussions,” said Thomas DiPrima, a physical therapist at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital who helped design the website. “So, someone had the great idea of coming up with a website.”
The website educates on the symptoms of concussions and gives them an easy way to look up contact information for their school’s trainer. The site also includes concussion clearance forms and the steps parents and students can take to get back on the field after a doctor clears them. There’s also nutrition and hydration information compiled for the student-athletes of the Santa Clarita Valley.
