By: Taylor Rigney
Sports medicine is undeniably a popular class among students here at Oak Grove High School, but just what is it about the class that appeals to so many students? Scott Weathersby attributes sports medicine’s popularity to the uniqueness of the class. “It is not your average class,” he said. “It involves hands-on activity and real-life problems and possibilities.” This much is true. Students who take sports medicine participate in many hands-on activities, such as taping, administering CPR, calculating blood pressure and pulse, practicing proper stretching techniques, and assessing sports injuries. They also learn about an assortment of things that can be useful in and outside of the classroom, like heat illnesses, detailed anatomy of certain parts of the body, and prevention and care of athletic injuries, as well as how to detect them. Sports medicine students are also able to participate in many activities outside of the classroom. For example, each class gets the chance to observe an actual orthopedic surgery, and each student is required to get at least ten hours of out-of-class observation during sports games and/or practices.
“It’s a very fun class,” Katie Grantham, who is in the 2nd block Sports Medicine class, said. “You feel like you’re a part of a team.” Likewise, almost all students who have completed or are taking sports medicine recommend it to others, especially to those who are planning on entering the medical field. Don’t be fooled, though. It’s not all fun and games; there are still some challenging aspects of the class. “Besides the sports bonuses, [the hardest part] must be the muscles of the foot,” Weathersby said.
Students who wish to take sports medicine must have completed Anatomy and Physiology and have a fairly good background in health.
