“There was a culture, an attitude about athletic safety that was sort of stuck in an old era,”

Like many Montgomery County high school football teams, Blair used to field a makeshift medical staff. Sometimes an assistant coach would tend to the injured player. Other times, a volunteer doctor would examine the athlete, according to third-year Coach Andrew Fields.

“It was kind of a free-for-all,” Fields said.

But the sideline dynamics at the Silver Spring school changed last season, with Montgomery County placing certified athletic trainers at each of its 25 public high schools. The health care professionals worked about 20-30 hours per week, patrolling the sidelines during home games of all sports and assisting the athletes before and during practices...

...“There was a culture, an attitude about athletic safety that was sort of stuck in an old era,” said Tom Hearn, a Montgomery County sports safety advocate. “The fact that they’re in it now is hopefully a sign of better attention.”...

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/montgomery-county-certified-athletic-trainers-program-is-met-with-approval/2015/08/13/94e5e5fa-41cc-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html