Hello and welcome to the Athletic Training section of the Heath HS web page!  My name is Jennifer Warnock, the Athletic Trainer here at Heath and I have developed this page to keep parents and Athletes up to date on important issues in the sports world. But first let me tell you a little bit about myself. I graduated from Mount Union College with a Bachelors of Science degree in Athletic Training. I also minored in Health and exercise Science. While at Mount Union, I worked with various Sports Teams to gain valuable hands on experience. After graduation, I received my national certification and Ohio licensure to practice as an Athletic Trainer in the state of Ohio. Currently, this is my second year here at Heath. Having grown up in Newark, taking this position was a great opportunity to stay close to my family and friends. It was also a chance to start an athletic training program for the athletes in the Heath City Schools. I have really enjoyed meeting the Athletes, Coaches, administrators and parents in this district. I hope that this page is helpful and if you have any questions, please call me at (740)788-3336.

ImPACT Information
Heath High School is currently implementing an innovative program for our student-athletes. This program will assist our team Physicians/Athletic Trainers in evaluating and treating head injuries (e.g., concussion). In order to better manage concussions sustained by our student-athletes, we have acquired a software tool called ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing). ImPACT is a computerized exam utilized in many professional, collegiate, and high school sports programs across the country to successfully diagnose and manage concussions. If an athlete is believed to have suffered a head injury during competition, ImPACT is used to help determine the severity of head injury and when the injury has fully healed. The attached letter provides important information about the Impact program and a permission slip if you would like your child to be included in the testing.  Click here for a printable form

Doctor Clearance
This form is to be completed when an Athlete goes to a doctor for an injury or illness. In order to be cleared to return to play or practice, this form needs to be on file with the Athletic Trainer so that proper guidelines or recommendations can be properly followed. The top portion should be filled out by me (Coach Warnock) after my evaluation has been completed. The bottom portion is then for the doctor to document any recommended exercises or special instructions for the safest return to participation following an injury.  2006 Doctor Clearance/ Injury Form

Handbook
The following attachment is the Athletic Training handbook that I have developed for Heath HS.  Click here for a printable handbook.

Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Wrestlers
Mouth guards aren’t mandatory in most sports, but they are very important and should be considered by every athlete here at Heath. Facial and head injuries can be sustained in nearly every game, from “contact” sports such as Football, Soccer and Basketball, to “non-contact” Sports like Baseball and Gymnastics. Every year, wearing mouth guards prevent more than 200,000 oral injuries among athletes.  This letter addresses the issue of mouth guards in sporting events where they aren't mandatory. It also explains how to obtain a custom fitted mouth guard if you would like to have one for your son/daughter.  Click here for more information and a printable form

Wrestlers
Estimates show that 25%-67% of wrestlers use techniques such as exercise, food restriction, fasting, and various dehydration measures to lose weight. Wrestlers do this with the notion that their competitive success will increase as a result of these behaviors. However, these techniques appear to adversely influence the wrestler’s energy reserves, and fluid and electrolyte balances and could cause severe health consequences. The following websites explain this problem, and give different alternatives for safe weight loss among wrestlers.

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/Weight-Wrestling.htm

Women’s Basketball
There are an estimated 80,000 annual ACL tears in the USA; 56,000 occur during sports. According to one study, basketball and soccer account for two-thirds of the ACL injuries suffered by U.S. female athletes. High school and college women's basketball players are five times more likely than their male counterparts to suffer the injury. The following websites explain this statistic and gives example exercises to prevent ACL tears among female athletes.

www.usatoday.com/sports/2003-06-24-acl-cover_x.htm
www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1997/04apr/moeller.htm

I hope that these websites are helpful and informative. I will update this site as the sports seasons change, and whenever a new issue is brought to my attention. If you have any questions, please call me at (740)788-3336.