Athletic Trainers

As a certified athletic trainer at Archbishop Spalding, T.J. Morgan considers himself fortunate. He has never had to deal with a catastrophic situation in 14 years of administering to Cavaliers student-athletes. Such situations are rare, but should he face one, Morgan, like dozens of other trainers working in high schools all over the Baltimore area, is prepared. "The educational competencies for athletic trainers are changing and there's a greater concept of emergency management, of recognizing emergency situations and being able to act accordingly," said Morgan, who is also the president of the Maryland Athletic Trainers Association.

No. 11 North Carolina @No. 10 Maryland Tonight, 8:30 TV: Comcast SportsNet The 10th-ranked Maryland women's basketball team was near the end of practice Saturday when starting forward Tierney Pfirman collided knee-to-knee with a scout player and collapsed in considerable pain. Athletic trainers and coach Brenda Frese tended to Pfirman as she lay on the court with an injury later revealed to be a dislocated right kneecap. Then roughly an hour later, the Terps boarded a bus to the airport for a flight to Atlanta to play a game the next day against Georgia Tech.

It probably goes unnoticed by a lot of high school sports fans and parents unless a serious injury occurs. Or make that when any injury occurs during a game.Within seconds, they are out on the field or gym floor, and sometimes they cause delays that irritate impatient and, maybe, ignorant fans. But thank goodness they are there at football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, track and wrestling events.They are the county's volunteer athletic trainers, who come from the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center in Annapolis, Crofton and Severna Park.

Last season, the bullpen was one of the Orioles' season-long strengths, and while the club's corps of relievers returns intact in 2013, executive vice president Dan Duquette said he's open to adding another bullpen arm this offseason. The Orioles' bullpen compiled a 3.00 ERA last season, the fifth-best mark in baseball and the third best in the American League. The bullpen returns five locks: closer Jim Johnson, Pedro Strop, Darren O'Day, Luis Ayala and Troy Patton. Right-hander Tommy Hunter blossomed when he moved to the bullpen, so he's a likely candidate to return.

An athletic advisory committee for high school sports plans to petition the Howard County school board for paid professional athletic trainers this week.The committee proposes that one trainer be available for each of the 10 county high schools during practices and games to evaluate injuries and assist in rehabilitation and injury prevention for the county's 6,600 student athletes.County schools have limited coverage by Kernan Sports Medicine on a voluntary basis, a three-year relationship that ends in May.The Interscholastic Athletic Advisory Committee (IAAC)

When the Baltimore Orioles wanted to ensure that the tired right shoulder of pitcher Jorge Julio was ready for spring training, the team turned to its head athletic trainer, Richard L. Bancells. "Million-dollar arms," Bancells said just before Julio walked into the Orioles' Camden Yards training room this week for his daily therapy session. "Eighty percent of my work is taking care of shoulders and elbows that have millions of dollars on them." But take Bancells out of the training room or off the field, and Maryland doesn't recognize him as qualified to perform the same rehabilitation exercises in a clinic.

The Dulaney sophomore midfielder lay curled in a fetal position after being knocked out by a vicious check. His coach, the first to reach the injured lacrosse player, called 911. Then they waited 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. For Dulaney coach Jake Reed, the consequences of not having a trainer present were scary. The state only requires medical personnel at football games. "As a coach, [I am] not a trained medical person," Reed said. "There is a fine line between whether a kid just got hit hard or whether he had a head injury.

Not every county in the Baltimore area struggles to find and pay for certified athletic trainers in public high schools. Howard County has had them for more than a decade. "There were budgetary limitations initially for us," said Mike Williams, who's in his third year as coordinator of Howard County athletics. "But our superintendent and our board of education recognized the value of trainers." Here is how Baltimore City and its neighboring counties address the critical issue of athletic trainers: Baltimore City Public schools -- 19 Schools with athletic trainers -- 0 How the system works -- Coordinator Bob Wade hasn't been able to gain funding for trainers, so he hires an off-duty emergency medical technician for varsity and junior varsity football.

Name: Paul S. WelliverHonored by The Carroll County Sun for: Being elected vice president of Maryland Athletic Trainers AssociationAge: 34Residence; hometown: Westminster; WashingtonOccupation: Program director of Carroll County Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in WestminsterEducation: Master's degrees from Western Maryland College (counseling) and Indiana State University in Terre Haute (athletic training); bachelor's degree from Gettysburg (Pa.)College in history; graduate of Westminster High SchoolFamily: Wife: Susan, speech therapist at Carroll County Board of Education in Westminster; daughter: Caralyn, 2,; father: Dr. Daniel Welliver, physician in Westminster; mother: Mary Ada, homemaker; brothers: Klee, real estate agent for Grempler in Finksburg, and Tom, accountant in North Carolina; sister: Ellen, homemaker in Walkersville, Frederick CountyPlace of worship: Westminster United MethodistActivities/hobbies: Running, ice hockey, computersAccomplishments: First certified National Athletic Trainers Association athletic trainer to work in the Carroll County public school system; first certified NATA trainer at Newberry (SC)

The Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland has formed a partnership with Towson Orthopaedic Associates and Towson Sports Medicine to provide injury prevention services and education to the girls who play sports in the IAAM. “We try to connect with those organizations that have the same mission and the same journey we're taking and this seemed like a good fit,” said Sue Thompson, executive director of the IAAM. “We're excited about it and I know they're excited about it. It means better opportunities for our girls and it will enhance their athletic experiences.” One of the first products of the partnership will be a “Tips from the Athletic Trainer” feature for the IAAM and the Towson Sports Medicine websites.

The Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland has formed a partnership with Towson Orthopaedic Associates and Towson Sports Medicine to provide injury prevention services and education to the girls who play sports in the IAAM. “We try to connect with those organizations that have the same mission and the same journey we're taking and this seemed like a good fit,” said Sue Thompson, executive director of the IAAM. “We're excited about it and I know they're excited about it. It means better opportunities for our girls and it will enhance their athletic experiences.” One of the first products of the partnership will be a “Tips from the Athletic Trainer” feature for the IAAM and the Towson Sports Medicine websites.

Left fielder Nolan Reimold was out of the lineup Saturday due to reoccurring neck spasms, which cost him a game Thursday as well. Reimold had three hits Friday against the Angels, including a two-run homer, but said he started feeling the spasms return as the game progressed. “It got steadily worse throughout the game and just flared up after the game pretty bad once I started cooling down,” said Reimold, who has five homers and nine RBIs on the road trip. “When I woke up (Saturday)

As a certified athletic trainer at Archbishop Spalding, T.J. Morgan considers himself fortunate. He has never had to deal with a catastrophic situation in 14 years of administering to Cavaliers student-athletes. Such situations are rare, but should he face one, Morgan, like dozens of other trainers working in high schools all over the Baltimore area, is prepared. "The educational competencies for athletic trainers are changing and there's a greater concept of emergency management, of recognizing emergency situations and being able to act accordingly," said Morgan, who is also the president of the Maryland Athletic Trainers Association.

Et cetera Jockey Garcia could reach 1,000 career victories today Journeyman rider Luis Garcia won three of his four mounts Thursday at Laurel Park and is two wins away from his 1,000th career victory. He'll be aboard five horses on today's nine-race card. "I am not trying to think about the number," Garcia said. "It would be amazing. Not many riders win that many races, and this is just my seventh year. I am getting excited, and hopefully it happens soon." Garcia, 25, has won 645 races at Laurel and Pimlico Race Course and has been a top 10 rider in the colony since arriving in 2003.

Not every county in the Baltimore area struggles to find and pay for certified athletic trainers in public high schools. Howard County has had them for more than a decade. "There were budgetary limitations initially for us," said Mike Williams, who's in his third year as coordinator of Howard County athletics. "But our superintendent and our board of education recognized the value of trainers." Here is how Baltimore City and its neighboring counties address the critical issue of athletic trainers: Baltimore City Public schools -- 19 Schools with athletic trainers -- 0 How the system works -- Coordinator Bob Wade hasn't been able to gain funding for trainers, so he hires an off-duty emergency medical technician for varsity and junior varsity football.

The Dulaney sophomore midfielder lay curled in a fetal position after being knocked out by a vicious check. His coach, the first to reach the injured lacrosse player, called 911. Then they waited 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. For Dulaney coach Jake Reed, the consequences of not having a trainer present were scary. The state only requires medical personnel at football games. "As a coach, [I am] not a trained medical person," Reed said. "There is a fine line between whether a kid just got hit hard or whether he had a head injury.

Last season, the bullpen was one of the Orioles' season-long strengths, and while the club's corps of relievers returns intact in 2013, executive vice president Dan Duquette said he's open to adding another bullpen arm this offseason. The Orioles' bullpen compiled a 3.00 ERA last season, the fifth-best mark in baseball and the third best in the American League. The bullpen returns five locks: closer Jim Johnson, Pedro Strop, Darren O'Day, Luis Ayala and Troy Patton. Right-hander Tommy Hunter blossomed when he moved to the bullpen, so he's a likely candidate to return.

Et cetera Jockey Garcia could reach 1,000 career victories today Journeyman rider Luis Garcia won three of his four mounts Thursday at Laurel Park and is two wins away from his 1,000th career victory. He'll be aboard five horses on today's nine-race card. "I am not trying to think about the number," Garcia said. "It would be amazing. Not many riders win that many races, and this is just my seventh year. I am getting excited, and hopefully it happens soon." Garcia, 25, has won 645 races at Laurel and Pimlico Race Course and has been a top 10 rider in the colony since arriving in 2003.

Sports have always been a part of Mark Shropshire's life. The Columbia sports trainer, 36, played sports in high school and college and earned a master's degree in exercise physiology, with a thesis titled "Improving the Velocity of a Baseball Pitch." But another study eventually helped launch his career. Working on a bachelor's degree at North Dakota State, Shropshire connected with John Farappier, who made Shropshire part of a sports-related research project. A mentor to Shropshire, Farappier helped him get his first job in sports training.

It was one of those sounds crowds love to hear: when the running back and the linebacker collide, helmet to helmet, power against power. Cracks like those, football fans say, are sweeter than any crack of the baseball bat. The hit between the Washington Redskins' John Riggins and the New York Giants' Harry Carson not only sent a crack reverberating through the air at RFK Stadium that Sunday afternoon, but it also left Carson lumbering back to the huddle...