Athletic Training and Sports Medicine Course Benefits ICS Students Pursuing Medical Careers and College Athletics

Mr. Ron Turner’s Athletic Training and Sports Medicine course continues to be a favorite among Indian Creek students. Students who take the course learn the basics of athletic training, sports medicine, CPR/AED and emergency response training, nutrition and more.

As in years past, Indian Creek students this fall have studied common injuries to the ankle, knee, head, shoulder, elbow and wrist. Students learn the full bone, muscle and ligament anatomy of joints, how to assess injuries to joints, how to tape, brace and wrap joints properly, and how to take care of injuries in a rehab setting. Students also learn about responding to emergency situations such as cardiac arrest. A project and paper focusing on nutrition comes at the end of the course.

Students enjoy many aspects of learning the world of athletic training and sports medicine, especially the care, prevention and evaluation of common injuries.  “I like how it’s so hands-on,” said junior Will Mercer, who plays soccer and lacrosse for Indian Creek. “Some of the injuries we’ve learned about have happened to me, so it’s great to learn how to prevent and help care for injuries I’ve had.”

Junior Mia Putzi, who plays lacrosse, said the class has helped advance her knowledge in many ways.
“Mr. Turner is so knowledgeable and shows us how to do everything,” said Putzi. “I think it’s really helpful as an athlete to know so much about injuries, how to take care of them and prevent them.”

Mr. Turner, who has taught the course for eight years, has seen many students go into a range of fields after graduation that make use of what they learned in athletic training. “Many students have gone on to become athletic trainers or go into athletic training, but a lot of students also take the class and then go into nursing or orthopedics, EMT training, firefighting training, in college or after,” said Turner. “It allows them to go into other realms.”

Junior Alex Allen said the course is demanding and challenging, and she loves how it fits with her desire to work in medicine and healthcare.  “[The course] is a lot of notes, but it will prepare me for what I want to do in college and after college,” said Allen. “I want to work in the medical field, so learning about all the different parts of the foot or hip or shoulder is interesting to me.”

Allen noted that Mr. Turner’s course complements her participation in the Medical Problem Solving class she is taking this year through the Global Online Academy offered at Indian Creek.  “[This year] I’ve been able to take everything I’ve been interested in,” said Allen. “It’s exciting to my brain. I will study my flashcards when I don’t have to or read up on something we learned about further just because it’s interesting to me.”

Turner noted that both athletes and non-athletes take Athletic Training and Sports Medicine, and that it benefits anyone to learn the basics of injury assessment, nutrition, emergency response and the varied elements of the class. “There are a lot of people who take it and run with or take it and go into other areas and find it useful,” said Turner. “You don’t have to be an athlete to take it, and anybody is welcome to. It allows students to go into other realms, and it’s knowledge that will last a lifetime.”
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Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland.  Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.