1. Changing the Culture of Sports Medicine Education in Secondary Schools
Larry Cooper, MS, LAT, ATC
NATA Secondary School Athletic Trainer Committee
District 2 Representative

2. Larry Cooper, MS, LAT, ATC
Penn Trafford High School
NATA District 2 Representative to the Secondary School Athletic Trainers Committee
WPIAL Sports Medicine Advisory Committee
34 years as a Teacher/Athletic Trainer at the Secondary School level
26 years at Penn Trafford

3. What is the current culture ?
We as a committee started asking ourselves these very important questions:
Who is teaching the course ?
What is being taught ?
Does it align with any governing bodies ?
Who develops the content/curriculum ?

4. There were AT’s from all over the country assisting with this project with a wide variety of backgrounds.
Who is teaching the course ?
Educators with many different backgrounds and specialty areas
What is being taught?
It varied from state to state

5. Does it align with any governing organizations?
Not the NATA
Who develops the content/curriculum?
Unsure
Is it broke?
We don’t think so

6. New Guidelines Align with national standards
Trying to help this being a national course with similar standards across state lines
Would help with teachers changing positions

7. New Guidelines cont. Promotes educational content
Minors should not be providing healthcare to other minors
Provides exposure to the professions

8. New Guidelines cont.
Stays away from minors providing healthcare

9. THE SECONDARY SCHOOL SPORTS MEDICINE COURSE OUTLINE

10. What is included in the outline?
Listing of key terms
List of educational objectives
Applications and activities for students
This is a starting point, not an end point

11. Why the Change? Dealing with minors State Practice Acts
Litigious situations
Promoting and advancing the professions
Will educate administrators and other stakeholders
Align standards

12. Be flexible Change is inevitable Education is changing very quickly
Healthcare is changing even faster
To advance the professions
To create jobs for AT’s
To do what is right

14. Thank you To my wife and family To my colleagues and friends
To the NATA and SSATC
My administration
To all of the students and athletes