Students learn sports medicine is more than taping ankles
November 25, 2009
By Laura Geggel
At one of her softball games in Seattle, Mount Si High School junior Danielle Massengill got a call to duty. One of her teammates had sprained an ankle, and Massengill was just the person to tape it.
“I can tape my own ankle in two minutes,” she said. “It takes me longer to tape someone else.”
Davis Karaica, a Mount Si High School sophomore, tapes the ankle of senior Taylor Warnke during sports medicine practice. By Laura Geggel
Massengill learned how to tape ankles and perform other sports medicine procedures in the beginner and advanced sports medicine classes at school. On any given day, a bevy of beginners can be found taping each other’s ankles for practice. Both Paige Dahlberg and Lexi Swanson need practice taping ankles before they can perform the craft on student athletes, meaning they’ll come in contact with “a lot of smelly feet,” Swanson said, as they helped students avoid or treat injuries.
Beginners also learn CPR and how to treat people with first aid. Mount Si teacher Robin Backstrom teaches students how to prevent sports injuries and how to manage and rehabilitate athletes who are hurt. She used to be the school’s head athletic trainer, but now, Backstrom dedicates all of her time to teaching classes.
The school’s new head athletic trainer, Jen Bullard, works with Backstrom’s students as they work to master their sports medicine skills.
First-year students must complete 45 hours of athletic training experience per year, second-year students need 60 hours and third-year students need 90 hours. Students must also complete two eight-hour internships or observations in different fields of medicine.
Most students acquire their hours by working with student athletes.
Junior Brian Ruhland plays football and runs track, meaning he has to get all of his hours during the winter sports season.
For all of their work, sports medicine students not only get high school credit, but also college credit from either Bellevue College or Lake Washington Technical College.
Ruhland enrolled in the class after his sister gave it rave reviews. He said he doesn’t mind dedicating his time to helping athletes prevent or manage injuries. He said most student athletes come in looking for Band-Aids, but the next most frequent injuries are concussions or are ankle related.
When students come in with a twisted ankle, Ruhland explained the different steps he takes when assessing what sort of help they need.
“You ask them if they’ve had any previous injuries,” he said. “You palpate it and feel for swelling or if there’s anything unusual.”
Of all of the injuries he sees, Ruhland said he enjoys learning about knees the most.
“There are so many things that can happen with the knee, like with the ACL or a dislocation,” he said.
In spring, the advanced students will compete against other sports medicine programs at state competitions. Mount Si students usually perform above average, Backstrom said.
As an advanced student, Ruhland is learning more about the world of sports medicine, including how to buy inventory and the liability that comes with it. They also help train beginners.
“It’s really cool to pass on your knowledge,” junior Tori Howell said.
Howell registered for the class after her brother took it for three consecutive years.
“I love taping. You really get to build a relationship with the athlete,” Howell said.
Sometimes, the athletes don’t realize they need help, especially if they’re suffering from a concussion. When this happens, she asks them a series of questions and follows their eye movement.
“I’m planning on going into surgery, so this is a good class to learn about the body,” she said. “I love this class, because you get to participate so much more than reading a textbook.”
Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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