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Athletic Trainers and Sports Medicine

Maine East Sports Medicine Team

  • Head Athletic Trainer – Megan Luetje, MS, ATC
  • Assistant Athletic Trainer – Anthony Nguyen, ATC
  • Team Physician – Philip F Skiba, DO
    Primary Care Sports Medicine
    Advocate Children’s Hospital – Park Ridge

Sports Medicine Club
Maine East students – Do you like sports? Do you like medicine/science/kinesiology? Or maybe you enjoy both? If so, this is the perfect opportunity for you!!

What does a Certified Athletic Trainer do?

People these days are on the move. We’re learning more, trying more, and doing more, and when the level of physical activity increases, the risk for injury rises as well.

Certified Athletic Trainers are highly qualified medical professionals educated in preventing, recognizing, managing and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activity. Athletic Trainers can help you avoid unnecessary medical treatment and disruption of normal daily life. If you are injured, athletic trainers are trained to work with you and your healthcare provider to get you healthy and keep you on the move.

Athletic Training is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as an allied healthcare profession, and the AMA recommends certified athletic trainers in every high school to keep students safe and healthy. Specifically, the Certified Athletic Trainer has demonstrated knowledge and skill in five practice areas or domains:

  • Prevention of athletic injuries
  • Recognition, Evaluation, and Immediate care of athletic injuries
  • Rehabilitation and Reconditioning of athletic injuries
  • Health care administration
  • Professional Development and Responsibility

As part of a complete healthcare team, the certified athletic trainer works under the direction of a physician and in cooperation with other healthcare professionals, athletic administrators, coaches and parents. The certified athletic trainer gets to know each patient/client individually and can treat injuries more effectively.

Typical tasks that a trainer may complete include:

  • Prepare athletes for practice or competition, including taping, bandaging and bracing
  • Evaluate injuries to determine their management and possible referral
  • Develop conditioning programs
  • Implement treatment and rehabilitation programs

 

Information about heat and hydration

Athletes participating outdoors in hot, humid weather or indoors, in non-air conditioned or poorly ventilated gyms are susceptible to heat related illness. The following links will educate you (the coaches, athletes, and parents) on heat illness guidelines, preseason heat-acclimatization guidelines, and helpful articles on hydration and nutrition during these hot/humid two a days and seasons we have ahead of us:

 

Nutritional advice

  • Recovery Nutrition – Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, LMHC, Director of Sports Nutrition and Performance
  • Small Changes, Big Gains – Michelle Rockwell, MS, RD, Coordinator of Sports Nutrition for the University of Florida Athletics Association

Meal Plans are as critical as a game plan. Check out Daily Specials to see different meal plans for different situations!

Free Radicals can slow muscle tissue recovery and impair performance, but taking advantage of antioxidants can help ward off these effects. Check out Lisa Dorfman’s article on Antioxidant Armor to learn more!

Fuel your team to victory with Gatorade Sports Science Institute advice on:

Specific nutritional advice for football players:

  • Fueling for Football by Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
  • Fueling for FOOTBALL by Kris Clark, PhD, RD, FACSM, Director of Sports Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University

 

Concussions

Please watch the ESPN report Outside the Lines: High School Concussions to understand the importance of reporting symptoms after a concussion or any head injury.

Maine 207 Concussion Policy

 

Lightning Safety

A Thor Guard Lightning Prediction System is in use at Maine East High School. This system detects the atmospheric conditions that could produce lightning, then sounds an audible alarm and flashes strobe lights early enough for everyone to take shelter before an actual lightning strike occurs.

  • 15 Second continuous horn blast, strobe lights flashing – Potentially Dangerous Conditions – Take shelter in the main school building or in your car (be sure not to touch any metal surfaces).
  • Three 5 second blasts, strobe lights off – Dangerous conditions have passed, and participants may resume normal outdoor activity.

You should still be aware of weather conditions, as the system is not foolproof and there may be occasions where you see lightning but the system does not activate. In these cases count the seconds from when you see the flash until you hear the thunder. The IHSA has adopted the “30-30 rule”. In the absence of weather warning equipment, play should be suspended and everyone should take cover if the flash-to-bang count is 30 seconds or less, and should not resume activity until 30 minutes after the last lightning flash.

If caught in the open during a thunder and lightning storm, go inside the nearest building immediately! IF no shelter is available, crouch down immediately in the lowest possible spot and roll up in a ball with feet on the ground. Do not lie down. If outdoors during a thunder and lightning storm, avoid water. Also avoid metal objects such as wires, fences, railroad tracks, etc.

To learn more check out: