March’s theme for the Month for Athletic Trainers was "Your Protection is Our Priority."

As an athletic trainer, I can appreciate this as I believe all are committed to insuring that all athletes who participate in sports are in the safest environment that can be provided. The protection of any athlete is my only priority, and I tell all my coaches that I am there for the athletes and not for the coaches.

In keeping the athlete’s protection my priority I act as a liaison between the athlete and the coaches, always insuring that the welfare of the athlete is the top priority. Some times coaches understand and at other times they want the athlete to return to practice/play before they are ready. At times, the athlete cannot understand why he cannot return. So often, I will have to remind the athlete that my priority is his overall protection and insuring that if she has dreams of going to the next level that he/she will go there unbroken. I also tell them that I want to get them back so they are able to continue the season.

I have really been blessed in my career as an athletic trainer to have worked under and with medical/para-medical professions who also embrace "Your Protection is Our Priority." They all believe in, "first, do no harm."

They also all have a love for the athletes in the school system.

In keeping with the theme, I must often rely on outside facilities or professions to help prepare an athlete to return to his/her activity. These facilities very often consist of family physicians, orthopedic/sports medicine physicians, or physical therapists. Together we all work to insure that "Your Protection is Our Priority," is always our first concern for the athletes of Liberty County School System.

This year’s annual All Sports Physicals will be on April 15 at Bradwell Institute form 8 a.m. to noon. No physicals will be started after 11:45 to insure that all are completed by noon so the professionals who have volunteered are able to enjoy their day.

Female athletes and only those males who have events that day will be seen between 8 and 10. Other male athletes will be seen between 10 and noon.

We ask that one or both parents of athletes attend with their child. This helps eliminate missing information and signatures, and eliminates questions regarding the health of the athlete.

Physical packets can be picked up from all athletic directors at both high schools and all three middle schools. We have also asked the middle school ADs to indicate which high school their eighth-graders will attend so their physicals get to the appropriate high school.

The packet this year is standardized throughout the system. Take time to go through the packet, answer all the questions and insure that all the needed signatures are done. This physical will be valid throughout the upcoming school year and will expire at the end of May 2018.

The physicals are free and open to all athletes in Liberty County schools.

A physical must be on file by all those who wish to participate in middle and high school athletics. Parents, this is a screening and does not take the place of your child’s annual physician physical.

This year’s physicals are being sponsored by Dr. Lindsey Bellamy, pediatrician, Martha Kitchings, NP, Dr. Becky Coefield-Floyd, surgery, all from Liberty Regional Medical Center; Dr. J. Williams, chief medical officer for Southland, Will Booker, physician assistant, and Heather Moss, PA, also from Southland. Dennis Martucci, PT, Tracy Allen, PTA, Wendy Rogers, PTA, all from LRMC; Kyle Deuter, PA from the Bone and Joint Institute of South Georgia; Christopher Tomczyk, ATC, grad student Georgia Southern University; LPN students from the Liberty Branch of the Savannah Technical College under Kissiah Moore, Allied Health Department head, Rubin Smith, RN, instructor of LPN students; and Graham Martin and Corey Bates, firemen/first responders.

I would like to thank all of them for giving their time to see that the athletes are ready to play. I would like to thank Maria Sowell, director of physician relations at LRMC for helping organize the hospital’s help. Thanks also to the athletic directors, principals and coaches from the schools who help to insure the athletes have current physicals.