West Central Valley athletic director Tod Broman is hoping to improve the current athletic training services for Wildcat athletes, because as he terms it, the school needs to have a “more in-depth service in the future than what is currently provided.”

Broman recently addressed the district’s School Board to discuss the possibility of hiring a trainer to be present at select Wildcats’ home sporting events–such a system isn’t in place right now.

“The service that we have is this company sends out a trainer to our school once a week to check up on injured athletes and that’s it.  I feel that that’s not enough and we need to expand it.  So I’m checking around with other districts to see what types of service they have, and of course the cost because that is going to be the main point… is where are we going to get the funding?  And I would really like to do this without impacting the activities fund.”

Broman says area paramedics are on-hand for home football and soccer games and occasionally wrestling matches, but he feels an athletic trainer would provide another level of athlete care.

“The EMTs or the Emergency Medical Services can just provide first-aid for emergencies, but they can’t always diagnose athletic injuries.  There are certain things that are pretty obvious but then there are other things that are not, and by having a trainer there, they can work with us in giving us some guidance as to how best to take care of the athletes.”

School Board officials were receptive to the idea of hiring a home event trainer according to Broman, who also hopes to have any newly hired trainer give West Central Valley coaches a monthly clinic pertaining to athlete care.

Broman will again present to the School Board at next month’s meeting after completing further cost analysis in relation to hiring a new trainer.  If a new trainer is ultimately hired, it is Broman’s hope that the new service would be implemented by the coming fall football season.