SPORTS MEDICINE
Welcome to the Western Alamance High School Sports Medicine page. Here you will find information on our providers, services we offer as well as other need-to-know information.
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association defines an Athletic Trainer as an expert at recognizing, treating and preventing injuries. Recognized by the American Medical Association as allied health professionals and practicing under the direction of a licensed physician, Stewart Physical Therapy Athletic Trainers specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. The sports medicine team, consisting of ATs and school first responders, work in collaboration with athletic departments, parents, and student-athletes to ensure the highest quality of care is provided to the communities we serve. The daily interactions with student-athletes, along with the ATs attendance at all home games and practices allows for immediate evaluation, treatment or referral of all athletic injuries and prompt management of illnesses or medical conditions that occur during athletic participation. Students, parents and coaches are strongly encouraged to report all sports related injuries or illnesses to the athletic trainer at the time of injury. Decisions regarding follow-up care, ongoing athletic participation, and /or orthopedic consultation are at the discretion of the athletic training staff, in consultation with local physicians when indicated or necessary. The primary goal is to always put the health and welfare of the student-athletes first. Stewart Physical Therapy Athletic Trainers endeavor to keep and or return all student-athletes to full participation as soon as the student-athlete is medically cleared by a physician, if necessary or fit to participate.
The purpose of this website is to provide educational information for athletes, parents and coaches. This material is intended for general educational purposes, and does not take the place of a physician, or serve as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Please consult your health care provider if you have questions about a serious illness or injury.
SEE BELOW FOR INFORMATION AND MEDICAL FORMS
athletic trainer
Athletic Trainer – Carla Parker MS. LAT, ATC
Carla started at Western Alamance as the first athletic trainer in Alamance County with the new contract with Stewart Physical Therapy in October of 2023 going into her 7th year in the profession. She previously worked at a small high school in Winston-Salem and was excited to bring her skills to Western.
Carla is a Western alumnus, graduating in 2010. She received her bachelors degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sports medicine from UNCG in 2014 and went on to receive her masters degree in athletic training from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania in 2017. She also hopes to one day obtain a doctorate degree.
Carla is excited to be back home where spark was ignited to become an athletic trainer when she was hurt multiple times while playing soccer. She is excited to be able to build a program from scratch, help educate on what athletic trainers are and what they do and lastly work with fellow AT’s, county admin and Stewart Physical Therapy to better things in the county as a whole for athletics.
Carla is often assisted by the first responders for Western.
Contact info
Cell – 336-516-4762
Before making an appointment
– Students may NOT leave a core class to see the Athletic Trainer
– Students have to book the appointment a minimum 4 hours before the time they are wanting to come
– An email will be sent to your teacher about the appointment and it is then up to the teacher on whether or not they allow you to go. If I get a no from your teacher and you still come to the training room you will be told to leave.
– If you do not have an appointment you will be told to leave.
– There will be a QR code that must be scanned when you come in and leave the training room and you must answer all questions on the form.
– Students must be on the lookout for an email in case the appointment is canceled for any reason.
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CLICK BELOW FOR IMPORTANT FORMS and links
take note...
Prescribed appliance form is used to prescribe braces, guards, or additional support by the doctor that needs to be worn for the athletes to continue to participate in sports.
Concussion packet is for the athletic trainers to fill out when an athlete has a suspected concussion for them to take to the doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) and what skills do they have?
Certified Athletic Trainers are highly qualified, multi-skilled healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician as prescribed by North Carolina licensure statutes. Certified Athletic Trainers are oftentimes confused with personal trainers. There is, however, a large difference in the education, skillset, job duties and patient population of an athletic trainer and a personal trainer. The athletic training academic curriculum and clinical education follows the medical model. Athletic trainers must graduate from an accredited master’s program and successfully complete the Board of Certification exam. Athletic Trainers are nationally certified and are licensed in most states as not all states have licensure requirements for ATs, in North Carolina ATs are required to have a state license.
What types of treatments or rehabilitation can the athletic trainer at Western Alamance provide?
Our facilities are limited, however, we do offer the following modalities: moist heat, ice, ice bath when requested ahead of time, electrical stimulation (e-stim/tens), cupping, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, as well as a variety of rehabilitation instruments for balance, strengthening and conditioning. If something is needed that cannot be offered on campus, your athlete will gladly be referred to the appropriate provider.
How do I recognize a concussion?
A concussion is defined as an injury to the brain caused by a direct or indirect blow to the head or body that may or may not involve loss of consciousness (National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement). Secondary school athletes are particularly susceptible to concussions and the effects of concussions as their adolescent brains are still in developmental stages.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion may vary amongst each individual and can affect your thinking, the way the body feels, your mood, or sleep. The most common signs and symptoms of a concussion include: headache, confusion, lack of coordination, memory loss, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, irritability, difficulty concentrating or remembering, sensitivity to noise or light, nervousness or fatigue.
More severe signs and symptoms associated with concussion that may prompt transport to an emergency facility include:
● Prolonged loss of consciousness
● Suspicion of a spine and/or skull injury
● Deterioration in level of consciousness, mental status, or neurological symptoms following initial evaluation
● Presence of any focal neurological deficit
● Persistent vomiting
If parents or athletes have any questions about concussions or think they (the student athlete) may have sustained a concussion, they should immediately report to the athletic trainer or seek emergency medical care for more severe symptoms.
How do I get in contact with the Athletic Trainer?
You can always stop by and see your athletic trainer at events (practices and games). Email is preferred as the athletic trainer cannot always take phone calls. Please make sure to reference your child’s name and sport when making contact. Carla Parker – Carla_Parker@abss.k12.nc.us or 336-516-4762
What should I do if I think my child might have an injury I want evaluated?
Depending on your child’s sport, there is a good chance that they may experience some type of injury during the season. If the athletic trainer knows about it, they can develop a plan to treat and rehabilitate the injury, if necessary. However, if the student athlete doesn’t say anything then the athletic trainer is not aware of any injuries and cannot provide assistance. If you notice something out of the ordinary or your student athlete says something to you regarding a potential injury, ask them if they were evaluated by the athletic trainer. If not, have them stop by the athletic training room at their earliest convenience in order to be evaluated. Even if you/they think it’s minor, we are happy to evaluate the injury and recommend a treatment plan. It is better to take precaution before it becomes something that will have the athlete miss time from their sport. You can always contact us (email is preferred) to give us a “heads up” so we can look for your child the next day and know what has occurred.
Is the athletic trainer present at my student athletes’ practices or games?
The presence of an athletic trainer depends on the sport and season. There are mandatory state statutes and guidelines set forth with regards to sport coverage. Currently, it is required that an athletic trainer be physically present at ALL football 7v7s, practices and both home and away games, as well as home wrestling matches as both sports are consistent with increased risk of injury. Other teams practicing or hosting events at the same time will not likely have an athletic trainer physically present but may have access to a first responder. Should an injury occur to an athlete with the athletic trainer being on campus but not immediately present at the practice or game, the coach will contact the athletic trainer to come evaluate the injury. For home games we always try to have an athletic trainer and/or first responder present if possible, however, it might be after football is done for the day. During the Winter and Spring, the athletic trainer will float around to all the different sports going on and attend home games providing coverage for both our Warrior athletes as well as the visiting teams.
When can my athlete return to play following an injury or illness?
Student athletes that are absent from athletic practice for five (5) or more days due to injury or illness must provide documentation of medical clearance by either a licensed physician or his/her designee (nurse practitioner or physician assistant) if they were seen and held out by anyone other than the athletic trainer before readmittance to practice or contests. Please see the important forms section for the necessary release forms. Students that are absent due to a potential head injury should follow the designated protocol and may return upon medical release by a licensed health care provider (physician or nurse practitioner) before readmittance to practice or contests.
Where is the Athletic Training Room located?
Currently the athletic training room is in the commons beside SC-1
And now one in the weight room.