Playing it safe

It's always a tragic situation when student-athletes lose their lives while competing in a sport they love.

Local school officials said Monday they do their best to make sure safety is a top priority on and off the field. But most systems don't have certified athletic trainers to provide the professionalism needed to monitor athletes' conditions full-time.

The N.C. General Assembly is currently considering Senate bill 864, which, if passed, would require every high school statewide to employ a licensed, full-time, non-teaching athletic trainer.

The licensed athletic trainer would coordinate the athletic health care for the school. State Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, has co-sponsored Senate bill 864. The bill was forwarded to the senate's education committee for review March 26.

"We need to ensure the safety of our high school athletes," Davis said. "Certified trainers would be able to follow the condition of athletes and work to prevent injuries."

Davis said five student-athletes have died statewide this academic year while on the playing field, including J.H. Rose High School football player JaQuan Waller. Waller, 16, died on September 20 from a concussion-related injury while playing football.

Several Lenoir County Schools athletics directors said they supportted the bill but didn't want to see the issue become an unfunded mandate. The bill asks the General Assembly to transfer nearly $22 million from the state's general fund to the state Department Public of Instruction fund balance, which would help pay for the certified trainers.

"I know we are in tight times with the budget," Davis said. "Hopefully, the bill will bring more awareness to the issue."

Both Lenoir County Schools Superintendent Terry Cline and Greene County Schools Superintendent Patrick Miller support the bill. As with the local athletics directors, they don't want to see it become an unfunded mandate, though.

"It's a good idea," Cline said. "We want to keep our students as safe as possible."

A majority of the state's high schools don't have certified athletic trainers on staff. N.C. High School Athletic Association associate executive director Rick Strunk said only about 30 percent of the high schools statewide have full-time, certified athletic trainers at sporting events.

"It's a challenge for schools to find qualified trainers," Strunk said. "Our task force has studied this issue and determined it would cost between $18 million and $21 million."

Officials acknowledged that certified athletic trainers can't prevent every injury from happening but having a full-time trainer at every school could help reduce the rates of injury.

Although Kinston, South Lenoir and Jones Senior high schools don't have certified athletic trainers on staff, North Lenoir does have a certified trainer at games who retired from Greene Central High School.

Greene Central has employed a full-time athletic trainer for the past two years. The school's trainer, Semeria Byner, also teaches exceptional children in the school district. She has one more test to complete before she becomes officially certified.

Ayden-Grifton High School also does not have a full-time, certified athletic trainer on staff.

"It would be very nice to have a certified trainer," Ayden-Grifton athletics director Kathy Frazier said. "I don't think it's going to happen right now with how tight the state's budget is."

On Monday, South Lenoir athletics director Jimmy Smith attended a conference in Wilmington where the proposed bill was discussed.

"Safety is a number one priority for our athletes," Smith said. "The bill could be very difficult to implement because of budget cuts."

Several school officials said they would continue to provide their student-athletes with a high standard of care even if the bill fails in the General Assembly. Many schools use emergency first responders, doctors or part-time athletic trainers at games.

Davis said emergency first responders are important but they might not be able to provide the continuous care athletes need on and off the field.

"Athletic trainers are able to follow athletes' injury history," Davis said. "They can get more into the training."

Chris Lavender can be reached at (252) 559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.

State Senate bill 864 highlights:

-Co-sponsored by Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene

-Requires every high school to employ a certified athletic trainer

-Costs would reach nearly $22 million to implement

-About 70 percent of high schools statewide don't have certified athletic trainers

-Five student-athletes have died on the playing field in North Carolina during past year

Local high schools' use of personnel at athletic events

-Kinston - Emergency first responders

-North Lenoir - Certified athletic trainer

-South Lenoir - Uncertified athletic trainer

-Greene Central -Uncertified athletic trainer

-Ayden-Grifton - Uncertified athletic trainer

-Jones Senior - Emergency first responders