Alex Holbrooks, a Certified Athletic Trainer for McLeod Sports Medicine, and Trey Woodberry, Athletic Director for West Florence High School, are pictured with the Safe Sports School banner that will be on display at the school.

West Florence High School is the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Safe Sports School award for its Athletic Training program facilitated by McLeod Sports Medicine. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes, reinforcing the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.

“We are honored to be awarded the 1st Team Safe Sports School Award by the NATA. It means a lot us as we recognize the hard work and dedication of our administration and McLeod Sports Medicine staff to our student athletes. We have always and will continue to strive to keep our student athletes healthy and safe in all they do as they represent our school in their pursuit of bettering themselves through athletics,” said Trey Woodberry, West Florence High School Athletic Director.

NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC, states: “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 on the Safe Sports Award, please visit www.NATA.org.

McLeod Sports Medicine provides Athletic Trainers to 23 facilities in Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Horry, Marion, and Marlboro Counties. Certified Athletic Trainers are board certified, highly trained health professionals who work with sports teams and athletes to ensure they are healthy before competition, keep them healthy when they play, treat them when they are injured and work on getting them back to healthy competition.