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Sports Director

Glasgow's Mari-Kate O'Shaughnessy, ATC, Tower Hill's Megan O’Neill, MS, ATC, and Howard's Monica Wadsley, ATC go through a CPR simulation during a training session on August 3, 2023.

Laurel athletic trainer Kathleen Kenney was watching with interest as medical professionals raced onto the field in Cincinnati last January, following the collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin from sudden cardiac arrest.

She said a text chain of members of the Delaware Athletic Trainers Association immediately went into action.

"The first thing that comes to mind is 'What would we do?' All of us were texting back and forth going 'Wow.' We prepare for situations like this, but you never hope you have to do it. Now that it happened on such a big stage, and you look at the resources that NFL has, you really try to look at high schools and realize we don't have all the resources and staffing that the NFL does, but I need to make sure my coaches, athletic director, and administration we can all work together and make sure we have the same outcome where Damar had an AED right away with CPR, and he's alive now."

Laurel athletic trainer Kathleen Kenney was watching with interest as medical professionals raced onto the field in Cincinnati last January, following the collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin from sudden cardiac arrest.

(VIDEO | Kathleen Kenney and Darryl Conway speak about the training session)

Many of the DATA members came together at Newark Charter on Thursday for the first of two clinics run by University of Delaware alum Darryl Conway, who is the co-founder of Sports Medicine Emergency Management.

Conway, who also serves as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Health & Welfare Officer at the University of Michigan, said every athletic trainer brings their own training to the sideline, but in many emergencies, both teams' medical leaders need to spring into action harmoniously.

"Every Friday night you're probably going to have 1-2 athletic trainers from each school on the sideline, so it's important they're working together and understanding each other's strengths, weaknesses, and protocols, then coming to a common bond on how you're going to manage a a situation.

During Thursday's session, ATs were tasked with a case of cardiac arrest, a cross country athlete suffering a heat injury, and broken bones.

In the case of the cardiac arrest, the simulation included a parent giving their input on the quality, or perceived lack, of care, and another where the parent said they were a doctor, until that PhD was exposed to be in history.

Kenney said working through scenarios where you have the internal and external pressures happen in real-life situations.

"This type of training and understanding that seconds matter, making sure we have heart, breathing (responses) are absolutely essential for athletes."

Conway said this was the first time an entire state came together wishing to be trained, with Delaware being split between an upstate session Thursday, and a downstate session at Polytech on Friday, sponsored by a grant from the University of Delaware.

According to a National Athletic Trainers Association Study in 2019, 57% of high schools in the United States have full-time access to an athletic trainer.

A bill was introduced in June that would mandate funding for a full-time AT at all Delaware public high schools, which is an upgrade from the current standard where an AT is only required to be present at football games.

The University of Delaware has proven to be a fertile training ground for future athletic trainers, with several going onto top-level professional sports, including Dover's Reggie Scott, who has worked 4 Super Bowls.

Conway said the lessons and drills Delaware's athletic training community are going through this week hopefully won't be needed this season, but if an event like Hamlin or USC's Bronny James happens at a Delaware high school sporting event, medical professionals will be prepared.

"You can feel comfortable that your athletic trainer at your high school is preparing, and giving up their time at the end of their summer to be here to take care of your students in a better fashion."

Kenney and her colleagues will have their Emergency Action Plans in place, and thanks to two days of seminars, their responses should be as coordinated as ever.

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