Skyline trainers host major sports medicine conference
April 21, 2009
By Christopher Huber
Skyline High School sports medicine students buzzed around the lobby at the Redmond Marriott Hotel April 17, answering questions and directing students and teachers to various rooms.
They had prepared for months to host the annual high school sports medicine seminar that brought together 600 students from approximately 40 schools in Washington, Oregon, California and as far away as Kansas.
Skyline junior Heidi Hopp wraps a splint around Ferndale sophomore Kathryn Bailey’s leg at the speed-wrapping station. Photo by Christopher Huber
“Going green in the medical scene” was the theme of the 2009 Washington Vocational Sports Medicine Association Competition and Symposium.
“It’s a chance for high school programs to have a chance to put skills and knowledge to the test against other schools,” said Cheryl Reed, event organizer and Skyline sports medicine teacher.
The two-day event began with a video that Skyline students created to introduce the idea of reducing waste in the athletic training programs. Practices as simple as turning off computers and lights at night, using water bottles, rather than throw-away cups and filling water coolers with only what the team needs were some of the featured points.
“The goal really is to get 500 kids not from just Washington together and show them all the other kids who are interested in sports medicine,” said Mike Fine, president of the association. “It’s student-designed and driven…to empower students to lead and test their knowledge.
In addition to the various skills tests and training sessions, the event featured speakers from the Redmond Fire Department and other health and physical training careers. The students spent much of the time participating in skills tests, such as CPR and wrapping splints for broken bones.
“It opens you up to different opportunities. It’s eye-opening,” said Skyline student Toni Scarcello. “It’s cool because you’ve got all these sophomores, juniors, seniors interested in the same thing. It’s like a Star Wars convention, but a little cooler than that.”
Fine said Washington state has one of the stronger high school sports medicine programs in the nation. The organization began holding the competition and symposium in the Yakima area in 1992 with about 10 member schools. Currently, the organization has 45 member schools, he said.
“Because we’re as big as we are, that’s why schools are coming from California,” Fine said.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
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