The Watauga High School football field.
On January 2, 2023 at 9:25 pm, Buffalo Bill's safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. This happened after Hamlin tackled the Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Medical officials quickly attended to Damar, restoring his heartbeat and administering CPR for 15 minutes. Hamlin left the field in an ambulance and was brought to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he was in critical condition. Damar is now back home in Buffalo with his family.
Injuries of this severity are not a common occurrence in football, however, this injury had a lot of people questioning. If an injury like this can happen at such a high level, what keeps injuries like this from happening in Watauga football? What measures are taken to keep players safe?
“We have an athletic trainer on staff that is present at all times during practices and at games; we also have a doctor present at all games,¨ said Coach Dustin Kerley.
Even with a doctor and a trainer, other precautions are taken to prevent extreme injuries.
“At all games, we have an ambulance, first responders, and paramedics that are present on the sidelines to ensure the safety of our players,” said Kerley.
Before a Watauga the game even starts, emergency personnel have a plan.
¨Prior to every athletic event, the athletic trainer, the head coach of both teams, the lead official, and the game-day administrator have a meeting about the safety of the players. This is so any of the parties involved know what to do,¨ said Kerley.
For minor injuries, a medical tent is present on the sidelines to evaluate player injuries.
¨The purpose of the medical tent is mainly for privacy, if there is a minor injury during a game the player can be assessed on the sideline without everybody seeing what's going on,¨ said Kerley.
Players are also required to partake in a physical before a season to evaluate their physical condition and check for any preexisting conditions that could hurt them on the field.
“Every student-athlete that participates has to have an up-to-date physical on file and you have to get a new physical before expiration. If your physical expires you cannot participate in practices or games until it's renewed,¨ said Kerley.
At Watauga, one of the most important parts of the game is safety. Every precaution, step, and safety measure is taken to ensure the protection of every single player out on the field. Injuries in such a physical game cannot be prevented, however, Watauga football takes every precautionary measure to preserve the health and safety of every player that steps onto the field.
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