NC schools must up their game for treating sports injuries

By EMERY P. DALESIO
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina schools will have to improve the quality of emergency help on hand when students suffer sports injuries.

Schools must have a licensed athletic trainer or lesser-trained first responder on hand at all football practices and games. The State Board of Education on Thursday approved a policy requiring athletic trainers or first responders to be certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation and trained in concussion management and injury prevention. The first aid specialist can’t be one of the team coaches.

The policy directs local school districts to also aim at having them available at practices and games of all sports at both the high school and middle school levels.

A spokesman for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association says the organization keeps no injury statistics.

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