Cabot School District Receives National Athletic Trainers' Association Safe Sports School Award

Cabot Public Schools is the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers' Association's 1st Team Safe Sports School award for the school district's athletic program. The award champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes and reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention, and treatment.

Cabot is the first school district in the state of Arkansas and the 14th in the nation to obtain this prestigious 1st Team Safe Sports School award. Head Athletic Trainer Jason Cates said, “I am extremely thankful for the school board and administration at CPS for putting an emphasis on athletic healthcare and to the members of our athletic healthcare team for all of their hard work and dedication to our athletes' well-being.”

In order to achieve Safe Sport School status, athletic programs must meet the following criteria:

• 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
• Educate athletes and parents on the potential benefits and risks in sports, as well as their responsibilities

For more information on the National Athletic Trainers' Association please visit: www.athletictrainers.org. For more information on Cabot Public Schools please contact (501) 843-3363.