TEMPLE, Texas — High school football season is right around the corner, which means schools are gearing up for a safe and healthy year.
All teams' number one priority is the safety of their players both on and off the field.
"It's very important to make sure everybody's on the same page when we're dealing with an athlete on Friday night," Chris Hargrove, Moody High School head athletic trainer, said.
Coaches and trainers from different schools in Central Texas made their way to Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Temple for the annual sideline safety course, to make sure every coach was ready for a safe season on the gridiron.
Football is a high-contact sport with injuries becoming a common trend. So Baylor Scott & White held the safety course the weekend before two-a-days.
"We just allow them to come in and we talk over different subjects like heat illness, to strains, sprains and so it's just a lot of information that can kind of give you a little bit to put in your back pocket to have a little more comfort during the season," Windee Skrabanek, Temple High School head athletic trainer, said.
The first high school football game of the year kicks off Aug. 25. After a long summer, coaches and trainers were back in the football mindset.
"It's a great way to kind of get back in the mood, get back in the swing of things," Hargrove said. "We make sure we got our checklist in mind and everything that we're going to do to be able to get ready for two-a-days on Monday. "
Learning how to transport a hurt player or splinting an injury were some of the tools demonstrated at the clinic.
Skrabanek has been attending this conference for many years. She says athletes' safety is always the top priority.
"We're all learning something different and what can we do to help each other because even though we're on the field competing against each other, when it comes down to it, we're really there for the safety of the athlete, and that's our most concern," Skrabanek said. "So, whatever we can do to band together to help all of them, we want to keep them healthy and safe on the field."
The safety of the sport starts with the heroes on the sideline.
"You've got so many players on that field at any given time. You're going with 22 players, so you've got to have your head on a swivel like we say, and not only are things happening in front of you, they're happening on the sideline, and they're happening behind you," Skrabanek said. "So, you know, you kind of have three spots as an athletic trainer, that's your role and you know, you've got to have your eyes ready to go."
A trainer's eyes, ears and safety knowledge all have to click at once to potentially save an athlete's life.
"We had an athlete collapse and we did CPR and AED and just performing that and seeing what happened to Damar Hamlin really took me back to that night," Skrabanek said. "I stood up like three hours just replaying it you know, and thinking and luckily we had success with ours. He's still with us today. And you know, AED saves lives. CPR saves lives."
Baylor Scott & White has been holding this safety course for 30 years and it's safe to say these players will be in good hands for that first snap early Monday morning.
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