When Florida ranked as the leading state in student-athlete safety, the Florida High School Athletics Association saw it not as an achievement but as a rubric for improvement.
The state was 14 points away from a perfect score under Korey Stringer Institute, which is an organization dedicated to preventing sudden deaths in sports.
Florida’s focus on student-athlete safety made a significant shift in 2017 when Laurie Giordano’s 16-year-old son, Zachary Martin, collapsed from an exertional heat stroke after a four-hour football practice in the summer heat. His internal body temperature reached 107 degrees, and after a week, he died from a coma.
Giordano founded the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation to educate athletes, parents and coaches on preventing exertional heat illness, or EHI. Her advocacy led to a 2018 mandate by the FHSAA requiring high school athletic programs to complete EHI education and safety training.
KSI evaluated the safety policies of secondary school athletic programs across the country. This report, published in The Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine, assessed policies for the top causes of sudden death in student-athletes, such as exertional heat stroke, cardiac events and traumatic head injuries.
In response to the KSI findings, UF’s Patricia “Pattie” Tripp, a clinical professor and associate director of the Doctor of Athletic Training program, assembled a task force to address gaps in healthcare services for student-athletes in Florida.
Tripp, who previously served as president of the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida, worked closely with the FHSAA and the task force to assess what was missing in Florida's schools and how best to address the gaps in safety practices.
“We looked at the task force as an opportunity to add more information,” said Tripp, “and to get athletic trainers in all of those different places.”
Athletic trainers specialize in the management and care of athletes and, when present, are often the first medical professionals on the scene of injuries.
The task force conducted an in-depth review of all 67 counties in Florida, evaluating access to athletic training services and other critical healthcare resources.
The task force found 22 counties had little to no access to certified athletic trainers or healthcare providers for student-athletes, leaving many schools vulnerable to preventable incidents like Zachary Martin's.
The task force used a “red, yellow, green” assessment to identify the counties with minimal or no access to certified athletic trainers. Tripp said the group marked 22 counties “red.”
Tripp's task force developed recommendations that directly influenced FHSAA policy changes, including new safety protocols for heat illness management, concussion treatment and access to on-site athletic trainers during high school sports events. As of July 1, these policies were implemented across Florida.
At UF, Tripp continues her efforts by educating future athletic trainers through the Doctor of Athletic Training program, ensuring they are equipped to handle the complex challenges of sports safety.
At UF Health, Athletic Training doctoral candidates provide sports safety implementation to Gainesville area schools.
Mikayla Franklin, a 26-year-old second-year doctoral candidate in the program, works as an athletic trainer at Eastside High School. She is responsible for injury evaluations, acute care during emergencies and managing heat safety protocols across all sports.
"We take their wet bulb temperature every day, and based on the guidelines, we can alter practice," Franklin said. "If it's too hot, we may have to push practice back or cancel it completely."
The integration of athletic trainers into local high schools ensures that student-athletes receive immediate medical attention when needed, reducing the risk of severe injuries and illnesses, Franklin said.
The program also addresses healthcare disparities in rural areas, where access to medical services may be limited. Franklin said many students may not have a primary care physician, making their access to qualified healthcare professionals even more critical.
"We're able to refer them to some of the best orthopedists in the area, which I think is really important for them," she said.
By training professionals like Franklin to work directly within schools, the Doctor of Athletic Training program not only enhances the safety and well-being of student-athletes but also contributes to a culture of awareness and preparedness, Tripp said, which can save lives.
Contact Vera Lucia Pappaterra at vpappaterra@alligator.org. Follow her on X @veralupap.
