Injuries are a common part of student athletics, with research suggesting that nearly 90% of student-athletes experience some form of injury during their sports careers. Now, the Tuloso-Midway Independent School District is taking proactive steps to keep its athletes safer — by partnering with Driscoll Children’s Hospital to bring in a new athletic trainer.
Tuloso-Midway ISD, like many districts across Texas, has long faced the challenge of student-athlete injuries. From heat-related issues to concussions and other high-impact sports injuries, the district’s athletic staff sees it all.
“Sometimes people want to blame the turf," James Villarreal, the district’s Athletics Director. "CTE is a real big deal now with concussions as well. Heat is another one that is big with UIL." Villarreal believes that additional trainers could make a significant difference.
“We have two full-time trainers right now and they do an amazing job, but you know, if we could add more training staff, it helps their workload.” That support is on the way. According to district officials, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has offered a free partnership to place a licensed athletic trainer on standby for Tuloso-Midway’s student-athletes.
“That individual will not only report to Driscoll, but directly to our athletic director, who will assign the day-to-day activities of their responsibilities,” said Steve VanMatre, Superintendent of Tuloso-Midway ISD. The trainer will work 40 hours a week, focusing on injury prevention, health management, and concussion protocol across all school sports programs.
Villarreal says the new addition will bring the kind of care typically seen at higher levels of competition.
“It’s kind of high-end," he said. "You get that at the NFL and college level — where you do a baseline test of your athletes to kind of see where they are without injury.”
The partnership is set to begin July 9, once the athletic trainer is officially appointed.
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