Athens, Ga. (May 10, 2022) – Piedmont Athens Regional’s Sports Medicine department announced Will Richardson, a three-sport senior at Clarke Central High School (CCHS), has been named Athlete of the Month, a program that recognizes one high school student athlete each month for his/her demonstrated perseverance through an athletic injury or medical illness either on or off the field.
Richardson played football and basketball and participated in track and field while attending Clarke Central. Throughout his high school career, Richardson suffered a number of injuries, including an ankle injury sustained in his freshman year that required surgery and months of rehab, a concussion, and other minor injuries. Near the end of the 2021 football season, he suffered a significant lower body injury requiring surgery and was forced to miss the last game of his senior season as well as the first half of the basketball season.
"Will is an incredibly hard worker and demonstrated a strong work ethic during his recovery," said Allison Palmer, Piedmont Athens Regional’s head athletic trainer at Clarke Central High School. "He persevered and was cleared to play in the latter half of the basketball season, where he helped the team win the regional tournament for the second year in a row."
The Athlete of the Month program was established by Piedmont Athens Regional’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine team in an effort to support and recognize local, hard-working student athletes.
“The athletes we work with are truly amazing and have to overcome so much in order to play sports again after an injury or illness,” said Katie Terrell, athletic trainer and outreach coordinator for the hospital’s sports medicine program. “The award was developed to celebrate their hard work in our sports medicine rehab program. Each month, we focus on one high school and meet as a committee, which includes the school’s athletic director, other members of their team and members of the athletic training program.”
As the Athlete of the Month, Richardson received a certificate and is featured in the Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility located on Piedmont’s Oconee Health Campus in Watkinsville, Ga.
“Will is a leader both on and off the field and an integral part of every team he is on,” said Palmer. “He never let his injuries set him back or discourage him from being a valued member of the team. Now that he is back and fully participating in track and field, you can see how essential he is to the team and the impact he has on those around him.”
For more information about services offered through Piedmont Physicians Orthopedic Sports Medicine of Athens, click here.