One bad step, one missed tackle, and one wrong turn can all instantly end a student-athlete’s season. With the assurance of an athletic trainer on the sideline, the hope of getting back onto the field, track, or court is higher. However, now around Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the country, that is not always a guarantee.
For Montgomery County, safety will always be the top priority. Even though it may lead to consequences and a backlash from students or staff, MCPS is not scared to implement new precautions. Recently, they have introduced new rules for spectators at all athletic events after a fight during a football game.
The county is facing a serious lack of permanent athletic trainers for each school, raising concern for player safety.
“I feel having an athletic trainer on site for practices and contests is very important,” Northwood Atheltic Director Marco Fuggitti said. “Not only as a safety concern, but also to help student-athletes understand their injuries and how to prevent injuries moving forward.”
Nationally, this problem also exists. Across the country, 34% of schools don’t have any athletic trainers according to a 2019 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The root of the shortage in Montgomery County has different causes. First, Maryland’s process of becoming a certified trainer is different from many other states.
“It’s been explained to me that the level of education required of trainers and the certification process in the state of Maryland is much higher and more stringent than other locales and municipalities in the country,” Richard Montgomery Athletic Specialist Daniel Whitlow said.
Second, the compensation of athletic trainers has been an ongoing issue that has led to fewer hires. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary of athletic trainers is $54,650. “The rate of pay also usually lags behind what trainers have available to them in other areas and many seek to become other medical professionals at a much higher pay rate,” Whitlow said.
As of Aug. 11 and Aug. 14, 25 high schools in MoCo have been assigned a trainer according to a FAQ released by MCPS. According to MCPS policy, each school is not allowed to hire its own trainer. Instead, the county outsources the hiring to several different companies, such as MedStar, Pivot and ATI.
“Montgomery County has a contractor that has to provide this set of trained people,” Richard Montgomery Principal Alicia Deeny said. “As a school system, we are not experts on health care. There are companies, essentially, that bid to be our vendor to provide the trainer position. Those companies are the ones having to hire the trainers [for MCPS].”
While the shortage has continued over the past year, athletic trainers have been stretched between several different schools. Trainers have been available at games, but rarely for daily practices.
“We currently do not have an athletic trainer at Wootton HS,” Wootton Athletic Specialist Alton Lightsey said. “We are provided [a trainer] for football, but like many schools in the county, [we] wish we had one in our building for practices and games.”
To make up for the absence of trainers, coaches around the county have been required to take certain safety and injury prevention courses.
“All coaches are required to take prevention and care of athletic injury courses as well as being CPR and first aid certified,” Whitlow said. “All coaches, on both teams, should be able to respond quickly and efficiently enough in place of a trainer for most, if not, all injuries.”
An example of an instance when the trainer shortage became apparent occurred during a Girl’s Varsity soccer scrimmage between RM and Tuscarora. A player on RM collided with a player on Tuscarora and was injured. An athletic trainer was not present at the game, leading to the ambulance being called to assist the injured student-athlete.
“It was a stressful situation – especially without a trained medical professional on the scene,” RM Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Edvin Hernandez said. “As a coach, you want to make sure your players are receiving the best treatment and care possible. Unfortunately, I’m not a medical expert, but in that moment I wish we had one.”
The injured player has recently returned to the field to play in her first game as a senior.
“I can’t speak for all coaches, but I’m sure a majority would agree that they feel 100 times more comfortable with an athletic trainer on-site,” Hernandez said.
Article written by Ari Fine of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo courtesy of Kiana Hajikarimloo of Northwest High School