DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
As Bob Aparicio enters his 25th year in the Rio Grande Valley, and eighth as president of the Valley Athletic Trainers Association, the Mission High athletic trainer said his primary concern this high school football season is the same it’s been the last handful of years.
“For all of us athletic trainers, it’s the likelihood of concussions or head injuries,” Aparicio said. “I think us down here in the Valley have done a good job trying to curve that.”
As another season kicks off today for teams that did not go through spring football, Aparicio is wary, but proud.
Though he said it would “be really hard to estimate” how many concussions there have been in Valley varsity football the last few years – the VATA does not share an injury database, so most athletic trainers are only familiar with their own school’s circumstances – Aparicio is grateful for how the organization and its trainers have gone about treating them.
When Texas House Bill 2038 passed in June 2011, it became easier for athletic trainers to emphasize rules and regulations in the treatment of concussions. The bill specifically related to the prevention, treatment and oversight of the injury in regard to high school student-athletes.
The important aspect of treating concussions is what is called the return-to-play evaluation. A student-athlete suspected of a concussion is referred to a physician for further testing. Each school district has a return-to-play protocol it must abide by.
When the student-athlete is cleared to participate again, each district has a five-day progression period as the athlete returns to full activity/contact.
Aparicio said Valley athletic trainers have taken a proactive approach to return-to-play protocols, even when there is no set protocol to go by.
“The post-care (of concussions) is more controlled,” PSJA Southwest athletic trainer Erica Martinez said. “I’d say it’s (concussions) become even less of an issue. With new laws, it makes it easier for us when it comes to dealing with coaches, parents and athletes.”
Aside from the proper treatment of concussions as a point of emphasis, there are other concerns for athletic trainers.
Aparicio knows he will encounter some sort of heat-related instances as the Eagles start practices this morning. He said most of those will be suffered by kids who did not exercise or diet properly during the summer and are now being thrown into a physically intense environment.
“Most schools now have summer strength and conditioning programs, but not all kids attend,” Aparicio said. “So if you don’t do anything for three months as an athlete, you’re not going to be very productive. I know I’m going to see conditions like that.
“Our school and other schools do a good job giving kids an opportunity to train and prepare for the fall season. It’s just a matter of if kids take advantage of that.”
For the most part, however, Aparicio is encouraged with student-athletes taking their health more seriously. That means staying hydrated and attempting to stick to a proper diet.
“In my experience, I have not had a serious injury with heat illness, knock on wood,” Aparicio said. “A lot of it has to do with our student-athletes. These young men and women are used to it and they know what to do about it. It’s just about being proactive and educating these kids about how to prevent heat-related illness.”
Martinez said aside from the usual array of ankle and knee injuries, collarbone injuries are becoming more common as well.
Collarbone injuries hampered the seasons of Donna High quarterback Amonte Bowen and Grulla receiver Leo Martinez, among others, last year. At the varsity level, the injury can occur when a ballcarrier tries to extend himself further for extra yards on a play, leaving his upper body vulnerable to oncoming collisions with defenders as he lands.
“It’s an injury we see, for sure, every year,” Martinez said. “I usually have at least two a year, mostly at the lower levels because their muscles are still developing.”