Welcome to NCCS Cougar Corner

 

WELCOME TO

COUGAR CORNER

As NCCS's first athletic trainer, I would like to say "Welcome" to our new athletics/sports-medicine blog. I would like to take as many opportunities as I can to educate our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, parents, and teachers and we hope you find this blog a helpful tool in doing so.

I would like to open this blog with a brief educational piece about what an athletic trainer is. It is a professional name that often is confused with "trainers". You name it, people have thought I "trained" it- from horses to personal training to teaching athletes how to "train" for their sport.

As defined by the National Athletic Training Association, an athletic trainer is:

"Athletic training is practiced by athletic trainers, health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of emergency, acute, and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations, and disabilities."

Where will you find an athletic trainer?

  Schools (K-12, colleges, universities)

  Amateur, professional and Olympic sports venues

  Clinics

  Hospitals

  Physician offices

  Community facilities

  Workplaces (commercial and government)

As we embark on a quest to begin to build a comprehensive sports medicine program here at NCCS, I hope you find that the educational piece is an important one. I hope to give each student-athlete, coach, administrator, teacher and parent a bit of advice that sticks with them throughout their athletic career and/or into healthy adult lives where "recreational sports" become a vital piece to a healthy life.

I will often use the term "sports medicine" as it is a blanket term that encompasses a whole team of people who there for the physical and mental health and safety of the athletes- doctors, dentists, athletic trainers, nurses, counselors, psychologists, athletic directors, coaches, physical therapists....... the list go on and on! Each play a vital component to the success each individual and team has.

Please feel free to send me any questions, comments or suggestions you have. It is much appreciated.

Thanks and Enjoy!

Melissa Ryan-Knowlton

(or as the kids know me as Mrs. Knowlton)mknowlton@countryschool.net