• CTE (Career Technical Education) at EHS:3 Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine has become a lot more advanced from a generation ago when "rub some dirt on it" was the go to for injuries where a bone wasn't sticking out of the skin.

This course, taught by Mr. Robbie Harrison, has students with varying levels of interest. From those that have a casual interest, or are sports fans, all the way to kids that already know they want to be in the medical field as adults.

From the official webpage

Welcome to Mr. Harrison's Sports medicine classes. Within these classes students will have the opportunity to learn about sports related injuries and how to manage and treat them. We discuss injuries from sprained ankles to skin wounds and concussions. 

Advanced sports medicine is a course where students take the knowledge that they learned in sports medicine one and apply it to actual EHS athletes as they are assigned to a sport as a student athletic trainer.

Robbie Harrison Email

Mr. Harrison estimated that 90%-95% of his advanced class has aspirations to be either a doctor, nurse, EMT, physical therapist, athletic trainer or something along those lines.

The pathway of this course begins with Sports Med 1. It's a yearlong class where they'll learn things like anatomy, physiology, injuries of the body and how to treat them, concussions, heat illnesses, bone fractures, tapping skills, basic evaluation skills.

Add caption

After SM1 they can apply for the advanced class where they take their skills and apply them, hands on, as student athletic trainers for one or more of the twenty sports teams on campus.

For example, if they get assigned to the football team they go to practices, they go to games, they tape up players before practice, and they help with minor injuries during a game.

What type of projects do Sports Med students do?

There is a skeleton poster project. This is where they trace a body out, then draw and label the entire skeleton —with some fractures. 

There is a rehab project where they are assigned an injury where they put together a PowerPoint presentation in front of the class regarding the rehab. Including how long the rehab takes, is surgery necessary, types of procedures, types of exercise(s).

There is an anatomy in clay project. Similar to the skeleton poster but this is done with clay. They use a plastic skeleton and then create the muscles and ligaments from clay and attached them to the skeleton.

Add caption

In the advanced classes, a video project demonstrating a "how to" situation, such as how to tape an ankle, is one of their projects.

I asked, "What is something you'd like the parents to know about this course?"

"One cool thing about this class is all the kids have the opportunity to get CPR/First Aid certified, and AED certified (Automated External Defibrillator). I'm a CPR instructor through [the] American Heart Association. So [with] every kid we do a lesson in class as part of the unit. They get graded on it, they still have to go through the information and take a test. We charge $15 [for those interested] to get a two year First Aid/CPR/AED certified. They can take that [for] babysitting, [a] job they want to do. Every kid has an opportunity to do that within this program. "

- Robbie Harrison

HOSA

Health Occupations Students of America

Through HOSA, the students also have the opportunity to compete at a state level when it comes to sports medicine, medical terminology and other health related topics. Last year EHS had students that placed first and second in the state championships in sports medicine. One of them went on to nationals and earned first place in the nation for sports medicine. 

Internships 

Mr. Harrison mentioned his efforts with the Storm baseball team and a possible internship. They also do some college tours every year. Recently they visited University of San Diego, Chapman University and UCLA in the past. 

It gives an up close perspective of how the athletic trainers, at the various schools, work. It also gives them the chance to ask questions and tour the campuses.

I spoke with one of the outgoing seniors about Sports Med at EHS.

I want to be in the medical field myself. I've learned a lot about the medical field and it's taught me with cool, hands on experience. 

I'm one of the trainers for varsity football, so I get to go down to the football field with the [head] athletic trainer (Mr. Harrison) and he lets us help the athletes. If someone gets hurt, we're out on the field with them.

This is a good program to be in if you want to be in the medical field or if you want to be an athletic trainer. it's good experience, and I'm going to put this program on my resume, I've been in this program all four years of high school. It's been really fun and it's taught me a lot. 

— Student, Jacob Ruggles

A big thank you to Stacy Styrcula, EHS's College and Career Center Technician. Without her help I couldn't have done this series. 

Link to blog 1: Video and Photography

Link to blog 2: Graphic Design

Link to blog 4: Screen Printing
Link to blog 5: ROTC

•                •                •

The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.
– Voltaire

The art of Wildomar Rap consists of amusing the readers while occasionally sharing important information.

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.