Sports Concussions: The Role of Athletic Trainers in Keeping Student Athletes Safe

From the Whitman PTSA - Agenda for May 15, 2012 PTSA Meeting:

In January, Dr. Goodwin noticed from attendance data that 18 students were
recovering from concussions. In response to this troubling data, he turned
to parent Dr. Michael Singer, who organized the April 19 Concussion Panel
at Whitman. During the discussion, two of the panel members, Dr. Gerry
Gioia of Children's Hospital Sports Concussion Clinic, and Whitman parent
Dr. Dave Milzman of Georgetown/Medstar, called on MCPS to staff each high
school with an athletic trainer.

At the May 15, 2012 PTSA meeting, Jon Almquist, who heads the athletic trainers
who are staffed at Fairfax County Public Schools, will speak about the role
of trainers in high school sports programs. He will also discuss practical
issues about managing the risk of concussions in sports and what parents,
coaches, and athletes need to do to keep athletes safe at a high school
that does not have a trainer. In addition to his role at FCPS, Mr.
Almquist is a researcher on sports safety issues, whose work has been
published in sports medicine journals.