Sports Medicine

Our Sports Medicine team believes in the importance of providing quality and comprehensive medical care on-site. This allows us to better prevent and manage injuries, minimize the initial impact of injuries, and decrease the probability of re-injury. Our policies and procedures for injury prevention and management include, but not limited to:

• Venue-specific emergency action plans
• Automatic external defibrillators accessible to each venue
• A concussion management/return to play protocol
• A heat acclimatization policy
• Hydration and body composition evaluations to determine safe minimal weights for wrestlers
• Coaches are certified in First Aid/CPR/AED
• We provide educational opportunities for athletes, coaches, and parents.

Student-athletes are required to obtain a physical examination each year, preferably by their primary care physician, clearing them for participation in athletics. In addition each family is asked to update their emergency information, health history, and provide the school with any special medical instructions. They must also give consent to participate and treat each year as well as read and sign a concussion and sudden cardiac event education form.

Our protocols dictate that our student-athletes and coaches report injuries as soon as they occur, allowing our athletic trainers to begin evaluating those injuries immediately. After an initial evaluation, our athletic trainers work to determine and communicate appropriate treatment, make decisions on playing status, and coordinate possible referrals to physicians or other medical specialists.

Evaluations are specific to the injured area and include taking a thorough history of the injury, noting signs and symptoms, and performing specific tests and measures. In the case of a joint injury, these specific tests evaluate strength, range of motion, joint stability, and function.

Our concussion evaluation and assessment policy and procedures are based on the most up to date evidence and research. All evaluations are documented, and our staff devises a plan for treatment based on assessment results. 

First aid kits, injury ice, and water are present at all practice and competition venues to allow for immediate and on-site care of student-athletes. Our athletic training rooms are well equipped with all the necessary supplies and modalities for the immediate care and rehabilitation of athletic injuries of all types. In the case of emergencies, athletic trainers and coaches have access to their athletes pertinent medical information.

Treatment and rehabilitation programs are individualized to specific injuries and specific student-athletes. These programs are carried out under the supervision of the athletic trainers. Athletic trainers monitor each athlete’s progress on a daily basis allowing them to advance as able.

Rehabilitation programs focus on obtaining full range of motion, strength, balance, kinesthetic awareness, and functional training specific to the athlete’s sport. The primary goals of all programs are to insure a safe return to play and to minimize the chance of re-injury. Athletes must meet the goals of their rehabilitation program, pass their functional testing, and be cleared by the athletic trainer/physician before they return to play.

Continuing education is essential to our staff to remain up to date in the field of sports medicine. Our athletic trainers regularly attend local, state, and national meetings. They attend continuing education courses, conferences, and symposiums to keep up with the most current research and trends regarding the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of athletic injuries.

Our staff members serve as a teaching resource for student-athletes, coaches, parents, and the school community as a whole, providing education on injury prevention and care and teaching First Aid/CPR/AED certification courses.

Country Day is a designated clinical site for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte Masters in Athletic Training Education Program, and our athletic trainers serve as instructors for these students. 

The 2,600 square foot O’Leary Sports Medicine Center, located on the lower level of the Bruton Smith Athletic Center, allows our staff to administer comprehensive, individualized care for our student-athletes. The space features taping and treatment areas, a wet room with a large cold bath, and a variety of modalities and exercise equipment for the treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. We have the equipment and knowledge to fabricate custom orthotics for our athletes. And our separate “hydration room” gives us additional space for coolers, ice machine, and other hydration needs with easy access to our athletic venues.

The Bissell Campus has its own fully stocked athletic training room to serve our Middle School athletes. This allows for the treatment and rehabilitation of our Middle School athletes to take place on site at Bissell Campus.