Watkinsville, Ga. (August 12, 2020) – Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine team announced the launch of its Athlete of the Month recognition program, where one high school student athlete will be recognized each month for his/her demonstrated perseverance through an athletic injury or medical illness either on or off the field.
“We’re so excited to bring this new recognition program to the Oconee and Athens-Clarke counties region,” said Katie Terrell, athletic trainer for Piedmont Athens Orthopedic Sports Medicine Program. “We have athletic trainers working at 9 local area schools, and the amazing students they work with overcome so much in order to play in their sport each year. We just wanted to find another way to support these amazing student athletes as well as our community.”
Piedmont Athens Regional’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine team is home to services like rehabilitation and active recovery services, as well as specialized sports medicine care and orthopedic surgical services – all housed in a new, state-of-the-art 24,000-square-foot Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility located on the hospital’s Oconee Health Campus on Jennings Mill Road in Watkinsville.
In addition to these clinical services at the Oconee Health Campus, their team is also made up of eight athletic trainers dedicated to individual high schools in the area that have formed a partnership with the hospital’s sports medicine team.
These athletic trainers provide on-the-field clinical support for various sports at each of the high schools the trainers back. Schools include Athens Academy, Athens Christian School, Clarke Central High School, Cedar Shoals High School, Bethlehem Christian Academy, Madison County High School and East Jackson High School and will make up the schools where the student athletes are recognized as part of the Athlete of the Month.
“Each month, we’ll focus on one school, meeting as a committee to include that school’s athletic director and other members of their administration team, as well as members of the athletic training program,” said Terrell. “We will select a student athlete from that month’s school that has demonstrated a commitment to their sport through their perseverance to overcome an injury or illness to recognize as the Athlete of the Month.”
Once selected, the Athlete of the Month will be recognized amongst their team as well as on Piedmont Healthcare’s Facebook and a local announcement will be shared with the community.