Utica Schools expands sports medicine program

For Greer Nimmo, the newly expanded Sports Medicine class is a perfect mix of where she sees her future.

“I play sports and this class really interests me,” she said. “I am planning on either physical therapy or athletic training, and this course has been showing me the right way to do things.”
Nimmo is among a growing number of students who are planning to make sports medicine a career. A recent study named the field as one of the fast growing jobs in the country.
It is also why Utica Community Schools has expanded the Career and Technical Education program from one semester to a full year.
Eisenhower teacher Philip Crum said the course gives students extensive training and hands-on experience in the sports medicine field and puts them in a position to earn a nationally recognized credential as an NASM Personal Trainer.
“The students can make it a career and earn money, or it could be a springboard to further their medical training where the patient contact hours support their acceptance into a medical program,” Crum said.
One month into the new school year, students are already getting hands-on experiences by taping Eisenhower athletes before their games.
Eventually, students during the first semester will learn to provide a wide range of treatments and assist with rehab protocols. During the second semester, students will be involved in athletic assessments and athletic conditioning.
“The tests are exactly like the ones they will be expected to know on the job,” Crum said.
Even though they have just started, students already see there is a right and wrong way to prepare athletes for games.
“For instance, when you tape, it is supposed to pull your ankle to the outside instead of rolling it inside,” said Macy Pfaff. “It will prevent a lot of injuries.”
Sports medicine is a $15 billion industry, according to a recent report from Grand View Research. The field is growing quickly as interest in youth sports expands in popularity and the nation continues to age.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the field will add nearly 2,500 jobs over the next 10 years.
Crum said he hopes his students will take away an appreciation of "applied anatomy and physiology and that there is science behind all the decision-making processes. I hope they are inspired to work harder and see the impact that they can have on their patients and clients.”
Junior Varsity Center Gianni Ablahad already appreciates how proper taping is preventing serious injuries.
“The taping helps me to keep my leg straight,” he said. “If I get hit in that leg area, it could do a lot of damage.”

Source: Utica Community Schools

Superintendent Robert Monroe

Http://www.uticak12.org