Local hospital helps Ririe High School get the sports safety designation
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The following is a news release from Bingham Memorial Hospital.
BLACKFOOT — Bingham Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce that one of their athletic trainers, Cheree Iadevaia, has helped Ririe High School receive the Safe Sports School designation from the National Athletic Trainers Association.
The Safe Sports School award recognizes secondary schools around the United States that take the crucial steps to keep their athletes free from injuries. With the support of Cheree, a certified athletic trainer with Bingham Memorial’s Orthopedic Institute, Ririe High School is the first school in eastern Idaho to receive this designation.
This award gives Ririe High School the national and local community recognition it deserves for creating a safer environment for their student athletes. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention, and treatment.
“With the acceptance of the Safe Sports School award, Ririe High School is setting a positive example that other schools and sports leagues in the area can follow,” says Cheree. “My hope is that more schools and sports leagues realize the importance of hiring athletic trainers to ensure their athletes are safe with adequate sports medicine coverage when participating in athletics.” Cheree has a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and a Master of Science in Nutrition.
When Damien Smith, athletic director at Ririe High School, was asked about the positive impact he feels this award has had on the athletics program and the kids, he said, “When we signed on with Bingham Memorial’s Orthopedic Institute, they provided us with our first full-time trainer, Cheree. She has done an excellent job ensuring the safety of our students. Also, if an injury occurs during a game, we can have immediate medical attention from a certified professional. We also have the ability to perform baseline concussion tests on 100 percent of the students, which we weren’t able to do before.”
A baseline concussion exam provides an individual’s baseline or measurement of “normal” brain function during pre-season. If an athlete suffers head trauma during the season, his or her post-concussion test is compared to the baseline to evaluate the severity of the injury. This helps an athletic trainer determine the severity of an injury.
A trainer can then help to determine a medical course of action, a timeline for recovery after the injury, and when the student can safely return to their sporting activity.
“Having Cheree on our team gives athletes and their parents a peace of mind they didn’t have before,” Smith said. “All of the students greatly respect her. She works closely with the students not only by providing ways to stay safe during a game, but she gives great life advice. We’re grateful to Bingham Memorial’s Orthopedic Institute for providing us the support to take our athletics program to the next level.”
In order for Ririe High School to achieve Safe Sports School status, their athletic program had to follow a rigorous program and create policies that are outlined on NATAs website:
http://www.nata.org/advocacy/youth-sports-safety/safe-sports-schools