Apopka and Wekiva High Schools Receive Safe Sports School Awards

The Safe Sports School Award program recognizes high schools that help to keep young athletes safe.

Both Apopka and Wekiva High Schools have received the award from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes and reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.

In order to achieve Safe Sport School status athletic programs must do the following:

• Create a positive athletic health care administrative system
• Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations
• Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities
• Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment
• Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes
• Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions
• Provide or facilitate injury intervention
• Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan
• Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/education
• Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities

James Larsen, OCPS Executive Area Director for Athletics made this comment; "Orange County Public Schools is honored to receive this 1^st Team recognition from NATA, and we remain committed to keeping our student athletes safe during practices and games so they can accomplish their own goals of great competition, winning records, fair sportsmanship and good health. Our goal is to lead our athletics program to the highest safety standards for our players."

Schools may earn a 1st or 2nd Team award; the 1st Team Award goes to schools that act on all of the required and recommend elements. The 2nd Team Award is granted to schools that have completed only the required elements

For more information about NATA please visit: www.athletictrainers.org.