Westbrook High School has been named by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) as a National Safe Sports School, First Team honoree for the three-year period ending on Aug. 15. The District Health Team, coaches at Westbrook, and the school’s nurse Tina Bennett all work diligently to keep student-athletes prepared and safe.

The Safe Sports School Award recognizes secondary schools around the country that take the crucial steps to keep their athletes free from injuries. In order to achieve Safe Sports School status, athletic programs are required to create a positive athletic health care administrative system, provide or coordinate per-participation physical examinations, promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities, plan for selection, fit function, and proper maintenance of athletic equipment, and provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes. Additionally, the athletic programs must develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions, provide or facilitate injury intervention, create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan, provide or facilitate psycho-social consultation and nutritional counseling/education, and be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports, as well as their responsibilities.

A school may earn a First or Second Team award, and Westbrook was named as a First Team recipient for acting on all of the recommended and required elements.