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Taking care of our patriots
Here at John Carroll, we have a skilled sports medicine team to take care of our student-athletes. It all starts with the Certified Athletic Trainer who is responsible for keeping all parts of the team involved; communicate with parents, coaches and athletes; and make sure the day-to-day operations in the Athletic Training Room run smoothly.
Athletic training services
In 2024, John Carroll became a First Team Safe Sports School by the National Athletic Trainers Association. The School met the recommended and extensive standards to improve safety in sports, and this award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment for our student-athletes.
The Head Athletic Trainer is on campus each day beginning at 8:00 a.m. and is available for treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Student-athletes have the ability to set up appointments with the athletic trainers during their off mods to treat or rehabilitate their injuries. During the day is also a great time to have the athletic trainers evaluate new injuries that may arise. The more quickly an injury is evaluated, the faster the return to the field.
Student-athletes also may be seen by our Team Physician, if the injury warrants a Physician evaluation during our clinic time beginning around 3:00 p.m. (dates TBD). The athletic trainers are on campus each afternoon on regular school days to provide coverage for games and practices, as well as non-school days for game coverage.
- All rules governing the use of prescribed medication during the school day apply to their use during an athletic season.
- Proper physician authorization must be given with the use of the Physician Authorization Form.
- The medication must be either kept in the medical kit (i.e.inhalers) or on the person of the athlete unless otherwise instructed by the Certified Athletic Trainer or School Nurse.
- All medications must be retrieved from the Athletic Training Room or Nurses’ Office by the last day of school or it will be disposed of.
- The certified athletic trainer may refer a student-athlete for further evaluation or treatment by a physician. Please be sure that written verification of the visit is given to the athletic trainer, not the coach. The athletic trainer will pass the information on to the coach. Once a student-athlete has gone to the physician, he/she must have written clearance from the physician to return to play. A note from the parent/guardian is not sufficient to allow the student-athlete to return to play.
- When under the care of a physician, they have the final word on when the athlete returns to play.
- When under the care of the certified athletic trainer, they have the final word on when the athlete returns to play.
- A decision to return an athlete to play is based on range of motion, strength, proprioception, and sport specific functioning.If any of those criteria aren’t met the certified athletic trainer or physician reserves the right to prevent the athlete from returning to play.
Training Room Rules
- No cleats or dirty shoes in the athletic training room.
- No personal belongings should be kept in the athletic training room.
- No lounging/loitering in the athletic training room.
- Student-athletes should only be in the athletic training room if they are being evaluated, treated, taped, or have other business with the Sports Medicine Staff.
- No inappropriate language in the athletic training room.
- No eating or drinking in the athletic training room.
- Only the Sports Medicine Staff can and will operate the modalities.
- Only the Sports Medicine Staff can and will have access to computerized and written records of a student-athlete’s injury.
- Only the Sports Medicine Staff can and will use all non-expendable athletic training supplies.
Athletic Training staff
What is an Athletic Trainer?
A National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) is a highly educated and skilled professional specializing in the health care of the physically active. The ATC is responsible for the overall health care of the student-athletes here at John Carroll which includes game and practice coverage; evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries; and health care administration. The Certified Athletic Trainer is charged with the responsibility of caring for the injuries and illnesses for about 500 athletes here at John Carroll. Along with the help and guidance of our school nurse, our guidance department, our team physicians, and other allied health care professionals it is the goal of the ATC to give John Carroll student-athletes a safe environment to participate in and a safe and speedy return to the athletic field or court. Certified Athletic Trainers work under the supervision of a licensed physician in the following domains:
- Prevention of injuries
- Recognition, evaluation and assessment of injuries
- Immediate care of injuries
- Treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning
- Organization and administration
- Education and counseling
- Professional development and responsibility
What is a concussion?
A concussion is defined as a disturbance in the function of the brain, induced by traumatic forces. Typically, these forces may result from a direct blow to the head, neck, or face, or may be an indirect force to the head caused by a blow elsewhere on the body. Some common features of concussion include:
- Headache, nausea, confusion, balance or memory problems, loss of focus or attention, fatigue, lethargy, irritability or emotional changes
- Frequently described by athletes as “getting dinged” or “having my bell rung”
- Short-lived impairment of neurological function that resolves spontaneously but may be recurrent with future injury
- Resolution of symptoms can vary but typically follows a sequential course
- The risk of recurrence and severity of symptoms can increase with each successive concussion or with repeat injury while still recovering from a prior concussion
Post-concussion syndrome describes the persistence of concussion symptoms that may occur following a concussion. Though the time will vary, these symptoms will resolve spontaneously and typically follow a sequential course that can be monitored.
Do you think someone may have a concussion?
If you think you or someone around you has a concussion, notify a member of the Concussion Team through the School Nurse.
Members of the Concussion Team consist of the School Nurse(s), Head Athletic Trainer, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Academic Vice Principals and Guidance Counselors.
Academic modifications may be made by a physician using the Acute Concussion Evaluation Form (ACE) form if athlete is having problems in the classroom.
How to diagnose a concussion
The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3 ) is an internationally recognized tool for monitoring concussions and post-concussion symptoms. John Carroll Sports Medicine will use a SCAT 3 as a tool to assist in managing concussions in high school athletes. This tool will consist of a series of questions and exam findings that when monitored serially can track resolution of residual post-concussion symptoms.
Any athlete presenting with suspicious symptoms (headache, confusion, etc.) or signs (memory problems, etc.) should be suspected of having had a concussion and should be evaluated by an athletic trainer or physician. In addition to the standard of care and standard operating procedures, the recommended protocol for managing concussions is as follows:
- All cases of concussion will dictate use of the SCAT 3 for monitoring of symptoms and managing return to play.
- This tool should be administered to the athlete by the athletic trainer or physician.
- The initial testing should be conducted following the end of the sporting event in which the athlete was injured (game or practice).
- Subsequent testing should be conducted daily or every other day until symptoms resolve as evidenced by the test’s results.
- These results should be forwarded to the athlete’s physician and school nurse.
- These results may be used by the athlete’s physician as one of several tools to manage concussions and guide return to play considerations.
- No athlete suspected of having a concussion should return to play without clearance from a physician or athletic trainer or while still exhibiting any evidence of post-concussion symptoms.
- Evaluation of academic impact of concussions. Academic modifications may be made by physician using the Acute Concussion Evaluation Form (ACE) form if athlete is having problems in the classroom.
About BASELINE testing
The John Carroll School utilizes Sway for baseline testing. The Sway baseline test must be taken for all athletes participating in contact and collision sports including:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Equestrian
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
All students who wish to try out for these programs must complete the test prior to trying out for the team. The test does expire after two years and the student must then take the test again to continue participation on a John Carroll athletic team. The Sway test is a computerized program that evaluates and documents multiple aspects of neurocognitive functioning, including verbal and visual memory, attention span, brain processing speed, reaction time and post-concussive symptoms. The user-friendly injury documentation system enables clinicians to track injury from the field and through the recovery process.
