Sports Medicine

Caring for Student Athletes

Recognizing concussion and deciding when an athlete can safely play again take a team effort. Valley Health sponsors several different programs to help our region's local high schools make sure student athletes are healed before returning to play.

National Youth Pitching Survey

Young baseball pitchers may throw the ball too hard, too much, too early or without rest. Valley Health sponsors the National Youth Pitching Survey created by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine for area youth ages 12-18 who have pitched in the last 12 months.

Breaking Balls and Breaking Down: Young ballplayers may be throwing too hard, too much, too early and without rest.

Survey Criteria: Pitched in the last 12 months, ages 12-18.

Click here to take the survey.

“Information from the professional pitchers’ survey indicates that a pitcher does not need to throw a breaking ball before age 12 to have a successful career. In fact, this data suggests that delaying the use of the breaking ball until a later age may help protect the young arm against future injury, and promote optimal development of pitching skill and strength.”

- Joseph B. Chandler, M.D., Director of Medical Services, Atlanta Braves

ImPACT™

(Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing)

Valley Health has brought ImPACT™ (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) to the athletic programs at John Handley, James Wood, Millbrook, Sherando, Clarke County, Skyline, Warren County, Central, Stonewall Jackson, and Strasburg high schools.

ImPACT™ is used to measure athlete performance in verbal and visual memory, attention, reaction time, and other cognitive functioning prior to an injury. If a student athlete is injured and concussion is suspected, the test is retaken to compare with that student's baseline results. This objective tool is shared with the student's doctor to help determine when return to play is safe.

Mariecken Fowler, MD, and John D. Lewis, PsyD, collaborate with Valley Health and area athletic trainers to implement the program, which is the standard for college and professional sports teams.