For the first time, KO has earned recognition from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association as a “Safe Sport School.” This is a major accomplishment that demonstrates KO’s commitment to providing its athletes with the resources and facilities necessary to maintain optimal health throughout the competitive sports seasons. The recognition is awarded in two categories: first and second team schools. KO was named to the first team, meaning our athletic department has acted not just on training requirements, but recommended protocols as well.
This was a major accomplishment for the school and demonstrates the efforts made by the training staff towards providing the highest possible quality of care for KO athletes. Head Athletic Trainer Julie Richardson has been with the school since 2011 and has worked tirelessly to improve the services provided, consistently going above and beyond for our athletes. A large benefit of this recognition is that it will help spread awareness about KO athletic training. “I’m just trying to get out there and show the community what KO athletic training is about and the services we have available,” Ms. Richardson said. Additionally, she described the advantages it would provide when athletes and parents look at KO as a whole.
Winning the award was particularly special because only a few other schools in our area have received it. These schools are Cheshire Academy, Kent, and Taft. Ms. Richardson believes that a win for KO will cause other surrounding schools to upgrade their practices, and this focus will elevate the field of athletic training as a whole.
When reflecting on her experiences at KO, Ms. Richardson provided a story that helped shed light on the goals and accomplishments of the athletic training department. She described how she helped a non-athlete start a journey from not having a sport to eventually competing at the varsity level while consistently coming to Ms. Richardson for support. Ms. Richardson talked about how the athletic training department worked with the coaches of that team to help the athlete get into the shape necessary for competition and support her along her athletic journey. “We [the athletic department] all work together to help every individual that wants it,” Ms. Richardson said. “We want them to succeed no matter what level they’re at”.
Ms. Richardson viewed this as a “real personal bond that helped them level up”, and this embodies the way Ms. Richardson and the rest of the athletic training office do work at KO. Ms. Richardson repeatedly expressed her gratitude for Assistant Athletic Trainer Eric Ackerman, Equipment Manager Matt Kocay, School Nurse Beth Scully, and the many coaches at KO. She explained that what they do is a team effort and that they would not be able to provide athletes with the service that they do without collaboration.
The recognition by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association has a large number of criteria that must be met or exceeded to merit this distinction. The difference between the first and second teams is that in order to achieve the first team, you must exceed the expectations and qualifications given. KO has done this. For context, some of these expectations are that a school “develops injury or illness prevention strategies” or “plans for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment.” These are just two of the 10 requirements to be eligible for the award that KO was able to achieve.
An example of how the KO training program surpasses the NATA regulations is their willingness to coordinate treatment directly with a medical doctor and help make sure that the student is properly cared for, taking pressure off of the parents. These are the kinds of strategies that help KO go above and beyond other schools in the field of athletic training.
In conclusion, this is a huge accomplishment for the KO athletic training staff and means a lot to them. Moving forward, they aspire to continue providing a safe environment and high-quality healthcare to student-athletes. The department has a “commitment to excellence,” and KO students can rest easy knowing that if they are ever in need of medical attention, the award-winning KO athletic training department is there for them.
