Some schools that cannot afford to hire their own sports trainer contract with local hospitals for such help. HealthSouth Braintree Hospital in Braintree, Massachusetts, for example, provides athletic trainers to 16 area schools. For schools in rural areas with no major medical facilities, an on-site trainer may be out of the question. But schools still need to take measures to prevent injuries, says Dr. Steven Rice, a pediatrician and sports-medicine specialist at the Jersey Shore Sports Medicine Center in Neptune, New Jersey. Trainer Jon Almquist has a system to track injuries.
Some schools see athletic trainers as key liability protection.