Mayfield Sports Medicine students call for better protections for high school athletes

In this classroom full of Sports Medicine students, Isabella Rodriguez’s anecdote drew gasps of disbelief.
Isabella, who had attended a friend’s basketball game, described how a powerfully-thrown ball hit a player in the face. The athlete’s nose began to profusely bleed on the ball, blood dripping on the floor.

“There was not an athletic trainer there so the coach was sticking toilet paper in his nose,” Isabella said. “Then they just took him out, kind of wiped things up and continued playing.”

What? No one followed blood-borne pathogen protocols for sanitization? The athlete wasn’t immediately assessed for the possibility of concussion? How come there was not an athletic trainer at the game?

Teacher Lydia Arguelles leveled the bad news. California high schools are not required by law to have certified athletic trainers on hand during games.

The Mayfield students became indignant—and took action.

“The careers of young athletes could be in jeopardy without a professional there to treat injuries,” said Isabella ’19. “We had to do something. I know we are still teenagers, but our voices on this need to be heard.”

Mrs. Arguelles put a blank Google Doc on Airplay and the girls immediately began drafting a letter to Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), asking him to support state legislation that would require licensed athletic trainers to be on hand for high school games.

“High school injuries can be very dangerous and not only result in physical trauma, but time out of school that impacts academic performance,” the class wrote. “When licensed trainers are not available to student athletes at the moment of injury, those injuries can go untreated and the consequences, physical and academic, are exacerbated.”

An aide from Rep. Holden’s office reached out to Mrs. Arguelles and has encouraged the students to continue their support for this cause.

The concerns of Mayfield’s sports medicine students are at the forefront of legislative efforts by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and the California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA), who are pushing for tougher laws to protect student athletes as well as require professional certification for anyone who calls themself an athletic trainer.

California is the only state that does not regulate the profession of athletic training and there is no legally defined scope of what a trainer does, according to CATA. In addition, the CIF has made it among its top priorities to educate principals and athletic directors about the importance of hiring certified athletic trainers to protect athletes.

According to a 2017 CIF survey, 80,300 high school athletes in California receive health care services by an unqualified athletic trainer. Of those, 34,095 are young women, the survey of 1,555 high schools reported.

CIF director Roger Blake called the situation “alarming” in a recent interview with Fox40 News in Sacramento. “Absolutely, we have to fix it,” he said.

Mayfield athletes are not among those disconcerting statistics. We are proud to have two certified trainers on staff. In addition to Mrs. Arguelles, Jayme Harrold attends every home game along with her teaching responsibilities. Also, Mrs. Arguelles said, Prep League schools have an informal, verbal agreement to make sure that a certified trainer is on hand at games.

Mrs. Arguelles and Ms. Harrold are credentialed by the national Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers, which sets professional guidelines and regulatory standards. Certified trainers are recognized as allied health professional by the American Medical Association, must pass a rigorous board test and participate in ongoing training.

Certified trainers are educated in emergency care for catastrophic injuries, including the spinal cord, sudden cardiac arrest, heat illness and concussion. They specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of muscle and bone injuries.

Our Sports Medicine students said they will continue to watch this issue and lend their voice of support to protect student athletes.

“California must do a better job of protecting student athletes,” our students said in their letter to Rep. Holden. “As members of the Mayfield School Community, we are concerned with this issue and believe it is vital that trained professionals be required at high school sporting events to ensure the safety of athletes.”
Back
Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.