**DISCLAIMER** This post is not in direct relation to athletic training, but it is a current topic and an interesting one to talk about.
So it has been brought to light the many NFL players that have participated in a domestic violence crime. Most recently, my NY Giants kicker, Josh Brown, has been brought to the spotlight with his ex-wife stating that he had been violent with her. It also happens that he had emails and journal entries admitting the events that took place. At first, I was in disbelief. Someone that I really enjoyed watching play, someone whom I always picked up in fantasy football... How could this be true? Then you have to think about what's being done about it. Right now, the NFL is investigating the issue. But think about years past... Ray Rice, Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Dez Bryant, among others, have all been arrested for domestic violence and all but one (Rice) are still playing in the NFL.
In 2015, Brown was arrested for domestic violence and was suspended for one game. The NFL blamed his wife for not cooperating and them not being able to figure out what happened. Same thing happened with Rice. The NFL blamed the victim. Even with Brown's admission of guilt, the Giants re-signed him, seemingly OK that Brown was abusing his wife. The NFL decided to reopen the case since it had gone a bit more public than they had foreseen. The NFL has revamped their domestic violence policy, though. A six game suspension without pay for a first time offender and someone who abuses a pregnant woman... Wow. That'll show them, right?
So is the NFL turning a blind eye to domestic violence? Being a female in sports, I know what it is like to have these male athletes become violent. Not necessarily towards me, but I have seen it. It happens. There are times where the players are stressed and do not know how to handle it well and they become violent. Maybe some people are just violent by nature. It DOES happen. The NFL cannot just sweep it under the rug and say that it is the accusers fault. I cannot believe that these domestic violence cases are not being investigated further. The NFL just doesn't seem to want to deal with it, so the player gets a slap on the wrist, a "don't do it again", and off you go. Being a woman, it is disgraceful to see this happen. How can the NFL, a nationally know organization, who is supposed to produce role models for young kids and entertainment for the rest of us... How do they sit back and watch this happen and not do anything about it? I just don't quite understand their logic. Why do the women get blamed and the offenders keep living their lives? Something needs to be done.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Athletic Trainers - We Save Lives
On April 27th, Leigh Otis and Amanda Jennings found themselves doing something they never thought they would have to do. However, their extensive training helped them flawlessly perform a life saving procedure. Connor Moss was participating in a weight lifting session when he collapsed because his heart stopped. Otis started CPR while Jennings grabbed the AED. They saved Moss's life, and the city has dubbed them as heroes. They don't feel like heroes, though - they were just doing their jobs.
On November 19, 2014, Max Rucker was at football practice and collapsed. Athletic trainer Keith Shireman ran from the athletic training room to the football field to find Rucker unconscious with no pulse. He immediately started CPR. Four cycles later, EMS arrived and took over. Rucker was diagnosed with a heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that required surgery. The initial CPR saved his life. He had a defibrillator put in and was told he couldn't play any more contact sports. His reaction? "That's ok. Now I want to be an athletic trainer."
In October 2015, Piper Thompson ran to action. Football player Josh Boatright collapsed on the field. His heart was racing and wouldn't slow. He had stated previously that he was getting heart palpitations during activity, and then later at rest. Thompson suggested that he go to a cardiologist and have his heart checked, which was a great move because Boatright was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The football player could have died without Thompson being right there watching, and he now respects what she does more for her life-saving actions.
These are just a few life saving actions of athletic trainers that I have read about. I think that's how it is with athletic trainers. None of us are in it for the glory or the awards or the recognition. We chose this career because we love doing what we're doing. I also believe that life saving actions don't necessarily mean we have to do CPR and grab the AED. I think there are more life saving actions that we do. Let's say a lacrosse player breaks his leg in a game. The athletic trainer is there first to assess the injury and give comfort to the player. The lacrosse player is transported to the hospital and has surgery and/or is casted. But what the athletic trainer did and said from injury to surgery is key. We are here to make sure the athlete feels safe and believes that he/she will be ok. As athletic trainers, we take the broken leg athlete and we hold their hand until the ambulance arrives. We tell them that we will take care of them when they get out of the cast. We tell them that we will be there for rehab ever day until they are better. I know that being there for other injuries is just as live saving as a CPR instance. I know that when a player tears their ACL, they feel like their life is over because their season is over. But we can educate them, rehab them, and get them back on the field. This is why I love this profession so much. We save lives every day, no matter how big or small the injury is. And we don't look for a reward. It is rewarding enough to see the athlete back out on the field.
http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/life-saving-heroes-honored-in-layton
http://www.wfsb.com/story/27520760/high-school-athletic-trainer-saves-football-players-life
http://kdvr.com/2015/10/05/legend-h-s-football-player-says-his-schools-athletic-trainer-saved-his-life/
On November 19, 2014, Max Rucker was at football practice and collapsed. Athletic trainer Keith Shireman ran from the athletic training room to the football field to find Rucker unconscious with no pulse. He immediately started CPR. Four cycles later, EMS arrived and took over. Rucker was diagnosed with a heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that required surgery. The initial CPR saved his life. He had a defibrillator put in and was told he couldn't play any more contact sports. His reaction? "That's ok. Now I want to be an athletic trainer."
In October 2015, Piper Thompson ran to action. Football player Josh Boatright collapsed on the field. His heart was racing and wouldn't slow. He had stated previously that he was getting heart palpitations during activity, and then later at rest. Thompson suggested that he go to a cardiologist and have his heart checked, which was a great move because Boatright was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The football player could have died without Thompson being right there watching, and he now respects what she does more for her life-saving actions.
These are just a few life saving actions of athletic trainers that I have read about. I think that's how it is with athletic trainers. None of us are in it for the glory or the awards or the recognition. We chose this career because we love doing what we're doing. I also believe that life saving actions don't necessarily mean we have to do CPR and grab the AED. I think there are more life saving actions that we do. Let's say a lacrosse player breaks his leg in a game. The athletic trainer is there first to assess the injury and give comfort to the player. The lacrosse player is transported to the hospital and has surgery and/or is casted. But what the athletic trainer did and said from injury to surgery is key. We are here to make sure the athlete feels safe and believes that he/she will be ok. As athletic trainers, we take the broken leg athlete and we hold their hand until the ambulance arrives. We tell them that we will take care of them when they get out of the cast. We tell them that we will be there for rehab ever day until they are better. I know that being there for other injuries is just as live saving as a CPR instance. I know that when a player tears their ACL, they feel like their life is over because their season is over. But we can educate them, rehab them, and get them back on the field. This is why I love this profession so much. We save lives every day, no matter how big or small the injury is. And we don't look for a reward. It is rewarding enough to see the athlete back out on the field.
http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/life-saving-heroes-honored-in-layton
http://www.wfsb.com/story/27520760/high-school-athletic-trainer-saves-football-players-life
http://kdvr.com/2015/10/05/legend-h-s-football-player-says-his-schools-athletic-trainer-saved-his-life/
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