This year’s theme for Athletic Training Month in March was “Every Body Needs an Athletic Trainer.” As a trainer, I appreciated the theme.
If you think about it, my colleagues from Liberty County High School and I often treat players, cheerleaders, coaches, referees, brothers and sisters of players, wives of coaches, members of the band and sometimes even school alumni.
Athletic trainers also can be seen in clinics, hospitals, businesses, military posts, theaters  and stages, NASA, NASCAR, rodeos, all levels of college and professional sports and governments.
The field has grown in past years as can be seen where athletic trainers now are employed. Although athletic trainers can be found in various venues, their No. 1 concern always has been the health and welfare of athletes. Not all athletes wear jerseys, and athletic trainers can be seen treating the athlete in you.
In keeping with the theme, this year’s annual all-sports physicals will be from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday at Bradwell Institute.
No physicals will be started after 11:30 a.m.
Female athletes and males who have an event that day will be seen from 8-10 a.m. Boys will be seen from 10 a.m.-noon.
We ask that one or both parents attend the physicals with their children. This helps with missing information, signatures and answers questions about an athlete’s health.
Physical packets can be picked up from athletic directors at the middle and high school. Middle-school athletic directors have been asked to indicate which high-school eighth-graders will attend so physicals get to the right schools.
Packets this year are standardized throughout the system. Take time to go through the packet and answer all questions and sign where appropriate.
This physical will be valid throughout next school year, expiring in May 2014.
Physicals are free and open to all athletes in the Liberty County schools.
Physicals must be on file by all those who participate in sports at middle and high schools. The physical should not take the place of an athlete’s annual physician physical. It can be a tool to help you and your physician.
This year’s physicals are being sponsored by Dr. Jeff Brunelli, Liberty Orthopedic and Sports Medicine; Dr. Lex Kenerly and Dr. Matt Valosen from the Bone and Joint Institute of South Georgia; Dr. Phillip Ajayi; Dr. Olugbenga Awe; Martha Kitchens RN, CNP, from Phillips Pediatric and Prime Care Medical Services; LPN students from the Liberty Branch of Savannah Technical College under Kissiah Moore, Allied Health Department head, and Rubin Smith, RN, instructor of LPN students; Gary Gemlich, director of Spine and Sport; and physical therapists from Spine and Sport.
These people are graciously giving their time.