Craven school officials want more medical staff at athletic events

School officials in Craven County want to have more medical support available at ball games and practices.

They say a Greenville football player's death in September made them investigate the issue. They found that the system needs a policy to require more certified athletic trainers at more high school and middle school  events.

JaQuan Waller, a junior at J.H. Rose High School, suffered a concussion after being hit during a Sept. 17 football practice. He suffered another concussion two days later in a game, and he died Sept. 20. The state medical examiner said he died of second-impact syndrome, caused by two seemingly minor head injuries in a short period.

Pitt County school officials did not use enough caution in the days between Waller's first concussion and his death, Superintendent Beverly Reep said in October. The school system is looking at ways to employ licensed athletic trainers at all six of its high schools. D.H. Conley High is the only school that has a certified trainer.

Craven County's three high schools do not have certified athletic trainers, Linda Sifontes said this week. Sifontes, the system's director of student services, presented a report on athletic trainers and first responders to the Board of Education on Thursday.

"The state policy is that each high school must have a certified athletic trainer or first responder at each high school football game and practice," Sifontes said. "There are certified first responders at West Craven and Havelock high schools, and there's an EMT (emergency medical technician) at New Bern High."

Sifontes said the system is looking for ways to economically train and certify first responders or athletic trainers for all three high schools. She said a certification workshop in Greensboro next summer is one option. But she said she has concerns about finding enough money to pay for housing and other costs for the people who attend the workshop.

Kim Smith, a member of the board, said she would like to see first responders at cheerleading practices because students often fall during routines. Superintendent Larry Moser said he wants to investigate the quality of padded mats the system provides for cheerleaders.

Moser and Bea Smith, another board member, said they want to consider providing athletic trainers or first responders at middle school games and practices. Moser said he wants to know why the state does not already require medical support at middle school football games and practices. Sifontes said Craven County's five middle school athletic directors support a new policy to require the medical presence.

"We need to make sure we're aligned with the state policy first," Moser said. "Then what's critical, as soon as possible, is setting up a local policy. We're on the right track. The question is whether we want the same regulations for our middle schools that the state requires for our high schools."