When school sports begin this summer for the 2013-14 term, Parkland will have Coordinated Health for athletic trainer and physician services, replacing OAA whose contract expired.

At a recent board meeting, Superintendent Richard Sniscak said the district sent out a request for proposals and received responses from OAA, Coordinated Health and St. Luke's.

Coordinated Health offered the best deal, which will bring $1,600 in savings over last year plus additional coverage, Sniscak said.

The contracted amount for three trainers is $80,000 plus $4,500 for physicians' fees.

The district will pay $84,500 to Coordinated Health for each year of the contract which spans July 1 to June 30, 2016.

Parkland Athletic Director Jeffrey Geisel reports 1,600 youth participate in sports from mid August until the last event of the year, usually around Memorial Day.

Two trainers work at the high school, while one is at the middle school level.

Geisel commented on the responsibilities of the trainers.

They take care of everything not requiring a physician, he explained. They enroll in training programs at colleges and must pass a certification course. They may treat until a physician arrives.

Before practice, they tape ankles of football players and check skin of wrestlers.

As they cannot be at every practice because many are going on at the same time, student trainers use walkie talkies to communicate with athletic trainers.

Trainers monitor for heat acclimation and are qualified to use an AED, if sudden cardiac arrest occurs.

For concussion management, trainers administer an impact test to form a baseline. If an athlete sustains a concussion, he or she re-takes the test until the score is back to the baseline.

Geisel said a physician comes in once a week to check on injuries and determine when an athlete is able to resume play.

"Our athletic trainers are an intermediary between coaches and doctors when kids are injured," Geisel said. "They are here for medical support."

He expressed thoughts on the value of athletic trainers.

"For us, the trainers are as important as any member of the athletic staff," Geisel said. "They are part of the program.

"We need them to integrate into our program and have a passion for athletics and students."