Photo Courtesy Town and Country Studio
Assistant field hockey coach Abby Dorrance leads strength and conditioning
stretches with her team as part of a pilot program to reduce the risk of ACL injuries.
SAFETY IS FIRST PRIORITY FOR
STUDENT ATHLETES
FOX CH APE L AR EA SC H OO L NE WS
ox Chapel Area
F
ox Chapel Area School District Director of
Athletics Michael O’Brien says there is no way
to completely eliminate the risk of all sports
injuries, but he is committed to ensuring a safe play
environment for the 1,368
student athletes in grades
seven through twelve who
participate in interscholastic
sports.
mission. He wants to make more people aware of the many
advances that have been made in the science of concussion and
that the knowledge they have today is far more advanced than
what was practiced even just a few years ago.
“That concussion is a
manageable and treatable
injury are the messaging
points we need to share,”
he explains. “There is a lot
of confusion right now
about this injury. We need to
demystify concussions for
people. Concussion really is
a pretty coherent injury – we
can evaluate it, we can assess
it, we can treat it. We can
get kids back to play safely.
Concussion doesn’t have to be
feared.”
“I think parents, players,
and the community can
be assured we are doing
everything we can to maintain
a safe environment for our
student athletes,” explains
Mr. O’Brien. “We work very
closely with our coaches,
players, and the district’s
sports medicine staff. In
cases of concussed student
John Panos, Fox Chapel Area
athletes, we also work handSchool District’s certified head
Emilia Ravski, D.O., and Fox Chapel Area certified head athletic trainer John
in-hand with physicians and
athletic trainer and assistant
Panos work with one of the high school’s student athletes. The district is
specialists from the UPMC
vigilant when it comes to sports injury prevention.
athletic director, works closely
Sports Medicine Concussion
with Dr. Collins and his
Program who are leaders in
staff, as does Jennell Wolfe,
their fields. We are very fortunate to have close access to health
the certified athletic trainer at Dorseyville Middle School. For
care facilities and services that are considered some of the best
many years, the district has utilized ImPACT (Immediate Postin the country.”
Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), which was
Concussion Protocol Updated Based on Current
Research
Michael “Micky” Collins, Ph.D., executive and clinical director
of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program (in which
the Fox Chapel Area School District participates), is on a
26 Fox Chapel Area
designed by concussion program experts and is the first of its
kind to identify possible head injuries. Baseline tests measuring
cognitive function and memory are administered to all student
athletes in grades seven and nine and again in eleventh grade.
If a head injury does occur and a concussion is suspected, the
test is retaken. Post-injury results are compared with baseline