Improve athletes' safety - More quali_¶ ed athletic trainers needed at area schools

After the tragic deaths of several North Carolina high school athletes legislation has been proposed that would require high schools with high-impact sports to hire full-time athletic trainers.

Atlas Fraley Matt Gfeller and Jaquan Waller all died as a result of football-related injuries this past year.

Fraley was a student at Chapel Hill High School who reported dehydration after practice and died at home later the same day.

We applaud the efforts of Frederick Mueller director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research and Kevin Guskiewicz chairman of UNC's Department of Exercise and Sports Science who proposed this new legislation.

Requiring full-time nationally certified athletic trainers seems like common sense but several area high schools have inadequate personnel.

Both Orange High School and Cedar Ridge High School have athletic trainers but they are not nationally certified.

Carrboro High School does not even have an athletic trainer on campus only one who responds when emergency services are required.

Although it is not clear whether nationally certified trainers could have had prevented these deaths safety regulations should certainly be beefed up.

Concerns have been raised that local high schools may have to cut high-impact sports if this legislation passes because of the financial burden of the proposed safety requirements.

We recognize that high-impact sports such as football often serve important roles in promoting school spirit and can provide a pathway to college scholarships for such athletes.

Funds should be found to hire full-time nationally certified athletic trainers at all area high schools.

It is irresponsible for high schools to continue sponsoring high-impact sports without appropriate safety measures in place.

Before any more deaths occur more prudent safeguards  must be put in place.