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high school sports
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high school sports - June 29, 2008 8:22:24 PM
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rwillcott
Posts: 427
Joined: March 20, 2006
From: Canada
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Just wondering if anyone has experience with providing physiotherapy to high school sports teams? I own a clinic and would like to provide services to a local high school. I was wondering what kind of services and agreements are common with physiotherapy and high school sports teams. What can make a clinic attractive for a high school?
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RE: high school sports - June 30, 2008 7:05:17 AM
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Sebastian Asselbergs
Posts: 1191
Joined: September 29, 1999
From: Barrie, Canada
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I do not know how the school board regulations are with regards to a formal arrangement. It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
If you are looking to do marketing - volunteer. I still get the athletes I looked after 20 years ago - as well as their kids.
I volunteered a couple of years with the local high school senior basketball teams (a sport I know well myself); first semester boys, second the girls. I was at their first three early morning practices for setting them up on a good warm-up routine, and to do some taping. I went with them to as many games as I could, and provided PT coverage during their school tourney. I did this for two years, and then did one year of rugby, then one year of football teams. This was in the late 80's.
A verbal arrangement with the coach was sufficient - my own professional liability insurance covered my volunteer services in those days.
Now there is a large clinic with its own AIM van (Athletic Injury Management), staffed with ATs and occasionally a PT - they have a contract with the schools, are at all the home football games of most schools, and I do not know their arrangement details.
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RE: high school sports - June 30, 2008 9:06:01 AM
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Tom Reeves DPT ATC
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I have been covering high school athletic events since I got out of school. There are different ways to do it. Full disclosure: being an athletic trainer, I don't think that PTs are really qualified to do primary event coverage. Too many things can happen that were never discussed in PT school and were drilled and drilled in AT school. That said, if there are no ATCs in your area you may be able to offer services that would otherwise be unavailable.
I cover the events and sports that the school asks me to cover. I am at all Football games, home wrestling meets and boy's basketball (Last year I went to most of the away games also but did it on my own.) There is a local D.C who is a "certified chiropractic sports physician" or something like that. He has daughters so he covered volleyball and girl's basketball. I would also cover bigger events such as large track meets and section tournaments just because of the numbers of athletes.
I get paid a bit (not much but I might do it for nothing because I love it) $25 for a game $50 for a tournament - iit rounds out to about 13 cents per hour 
I offer free screenings to the athletes and coaches - basically a screen that says "you need to go to the doctor", "you need treatment", or "suck it up you big whimp."
The problem with setting up any arrangement with the school is that they really have no control over where the injured athlete goes for treatment. The parents do. If they are D.C. people, that's where they go. If they have gone to another PT before, that's where they go. If they have a primary care doc who just says to them "take 6 weeks off for that ankle sprain and practice your trombone" that's where they go.
Certainly by being there you can influence that a little but it is not the referral source you might hope it would be. I have been here where I live now for 11 years and still run into people who take full advantage of the screenings and then go and pay for treatment by a local chiro.
Then there is the subject of turf. The docs for the most part are fully in support of me but there are a few (2/11) who insist upon seeing the hamstring pull in their clinic to create a "paper trail" (and reap a $70 office visit charge). So if you live in a large population area it wouldn't be such a big deal, but you still need to have a good feel for which doctors you can just call for a referral and which ones you need to send the athlete to for vetting.
If you have a viable direct access in your state it matters less.
Hope that helps.
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RE: high school sports - June 30, 2008 9:20:57 AM
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Sebastian Asselbergs
Posts: 1191
Joined: September 29, 1999
From: Barrie, Canada
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Tom , I must tell you, here in Canada we have a very well designed Sport Physiotherapy specialisation system. Strict curriculum - many, MANY practical hours (contact sports and others required, under mentorship), bringing us Sports PTs beyond the capabilities of the ATs. Having been to many Provincials, Nationals, Olympic and World competitions, and some of those as Head Therapist, I can attest that the ATs and Sport-PTs work smoothly together.
The volunteering at the high school level is a good step on the way to specialisation: our PT-education (at least here in Canada) combined with CPR and First Aid, and a taping course, will suffice to get a PT started with high school sports - and safely so. With regards to referral - we do not need one here. Which makes the patient/athlete the one to make the choice - not the doctor (or the AT for that matter).
And THAT is a HUGE advantage now - although when I was doing most of my high school sport PT, we still needed a referral for treatment. It was never a big deal here.
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RE: high school sports - June 30, 2008 9:47:19 AM
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Tom Reeves DPT ATC
Posts: 447
Joined: March 14, 2006
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Ok, Just passing along my experience here in the states. I have no doubt that sports specialized PTs have an advantage over regular PTs but Athletic trainers have training in emergency stabilization (we practiced getting an unconscious diver out of the pool on a back board and getting an unconscious gymnast out of the pit on a back board) on field evaluation, nutrition, as well as the overlapping ortho skills with PTs.
If I were an athletic director and had to choose between a sports certified PT specialist or a good athletic trainer, I would pick the trainer. Granted I have not known personally any sports certified PTs but have known a lot of trainers, some good and some bad.
I guess I didn't catch that RWillcot was in Canada, I see that now.
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RE: high school sports - June 30, 2008 2:10:03 PM
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SJBird55
Posts: 2432
Joined: May 10, 2004
From: Michigan
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You know what would be great.... let the athletic trainers handle the injuries, but offer services in injury prevention. There are some awesome programs out there that can reduce ACL injuries... there are programs that could be implemented to maybe reduce shoulder injuries with overhead sports and with swimming.... there are things that could be done to potentially decrease ankle sprains. The only literature I have seen has been in regard to preventing ACL injuries. You might be able to target the school to consult with coaches. You could target parents/athletes of your program as an out-of-pocket expense. You could maybe see if an injury prevention "clinic" could be done for the athletes - each athlete pays. I know in my area, the athletic trainers are swamped covering events - nothing is done on a proactive basis to actually reduce injuries. An empty training room is a sign of good work.
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RE: high school sports - June 30, 2008 2:49:47 PM
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buckeye
Posts: 170
Joined: May 24, 2007
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In the U.S. check about 'good samaritan' rule for covering events if you volunteer. if you are paid, be prepared to show your level of expertise and competency.
Agree in U.S. the ATCs are generally better equipped for on the field coverage with injuries and sports relates medical issues compared to the standard physical therapist. Not sure about the sports specialist certified PT.
sjbird - The preventive programs have been used in some locations. I think they are a great idea. Agree the literature is heavy on the ACL prevention - it gets the headlines.
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