Valencia High School has been awarded the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award for its Sports Medicine program. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.

“Valencia High School sports medicine program has had most of the requirements for this special award for some time now,” said Joe Monteleone, the high school’s sports medicine career path advisor. “Thanks to Henry Mayo Hospital and the Hart School District for hiring certified athletic trainers, we now qualify and reached the First Team status. We are the only high school in the Santa Clarita Valley to receive this prestigious award from the NATA.”

“Valencia High School is honored to receive this First Team recognition from the NATA,” said Valencia’s athletic trainer Hubert Paz. “The Valencia sports medicine goal is to lead our athletics program to the highest and safest levels.”

In order to achieve Safe Sport School status, as Valencia High School did, athletic programs must do the following:

· Create a positive athletic health care administrative system

· Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations

· Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities

· Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment

· Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes

· Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions

· Provide or facilitate injury intervention

· Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan

· Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/education

· Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities

“We remain committed to the health and welfare of young athletes in competitive sports,” says NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC. “This award recognizes the contributions and commitment of schools across the country that are implementing safe sports policies and best practices to ensure athletes can do what they love best and have the appropriate care in place to prevent, manage and treat injuries should they occur.”