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Northern students and petition urge district to restore second athletic trainer
Summary
A Forest Hills Northern senior and more than 1,000 petition signers asked the board to keep two certified athletic trainers at Northern, saying a recent reduction to one trainer has strained coverage and posed safety and privacy concerns for student-athletes.
Eli McCullough, a senior at Forest Hills Northern, addressed the board during public comment on Oct. 13 to urge the district to restore a second certified athletic trainer at Northern.
McCullough said he presented a petition with “over a thousand” signatures and argued that recent changes reduced Northern’s athletic training staff from two certified trainers to one. He said Northern runs multiple simultaneous practices and contests, and the remaining trainer is “already overloaded, taping, hydrating, evaluating injuries, and covering multiple sidelines.”
McCullough cited professional guidelines from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association that recommend roughly one athletic trainer per 300 student athletes, and he said Northern had “roughly 645 active athletes” last year. He told the board that Central High School currently has two athletic trainers while Northern has one, and he said that discrepancy has both safety and privacy implications: "Our female athletes have lost a trusted trainer for personal and sensitive health concerns." He urged the board to rehire or restore Mary Pennington as the second trainer.
McCullough said coaches receive CPR and AED training but are not medical professionals trained to manage concussion protocols, heat illness or orthopedic injuries, and that maintaining a second certified trainer is an investment in student safety and the district’s reputation.
The board did not take formal action during the public-comment period. The district said speakers requesting follow-up would receive contact from the appropriate administrator.
Clarifying details: McCullough identified himself as a senior and team captain and said he submitted a petition with more than 1,000 signatures; the transcript included his estimate of 645 active athletes at Northern last year but did not provide a source document for the roster count or the petition."
