Taking sports to the college level

By Katherine Rojas - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Nestled behind the kelly green foam padding of one of the walls of St. Brendan's gymnasium lies a safe haven for student athletes seeking to prevent or recover from injuries: the high school's athletic training and physical therapy room.

Recently refurbished, the training room is the most visible sign of an athletic program that has been completely revamped, with innovations that set it apart among private high schools in Miami.

Leading the transformation is St. Brendan's head athletic trainer, Dyani Herrera, who is now entering her third year at the school. She holds a master's degree in athletic training and has years of experience as a teacher, intern and assistant with the football, soccer, lacrosse, and boys' volleyball teams, both at Doral Academy, a charter school, and at Christopher Columbus High School, St. Brendans next door neighbor.

Her efforts so far have resulted in St. Brendan receiving its first National Athletic Trainers' Association, or NATA Safe Sports School Award. St. Brendan is one of only three schools in South Florida that has achieved this honor.

"(St. Brendan) has been very welcoming, allowing me to flourish, "said Herrera. "They have been so supportive in helping me take the program to where I want it to be--at the college level."

Herrera is constantly searching for new rehabilitation techniques and practices, and also for innovative equipment to aid athletes who have been injured.

Last year, she began using SportsWare, an electronic medical records program that stores emergency contact and medical details, such as prior injuries, allergies, and a student's insurance information. Coaches effortlessly access this information should an emergency occur during an away game or trip.

The high school has integrated new training techniques and policies aimed not only at treating athletes should an injury occur, but preventing such injuries in the first place.

In addition to completing yearly physicals, each student athlete must undergo ImPACT Testing, a neurological assessment that measures an athlete's memory, reaction time to signals and objects, and other cognitive functioning skills. The tests are repeated each year and the results compared in order to track improvement or decline in a students' capabilities.

The goal is to quickly identify and minimize possible damage from concussions, especially at a time when the rapid advancement of high school sports is heightening the risk of injury.

"It's been really successful, and it really makes a difference in the students' lives," said Mauro Braca, a senior soccer player who has experienced the advancements firsthand. "Not many schools have this kind of program, and its a gift to have someone who is a professional."

St. Brendan's athletic department has also enlisted the assistance of local doctors and orthopedic surgeons.

"We are very lucky to have the financial freedom to call on outer sources," said Herrera.

Among them are Dr. Jan Pieter Hommen, an orthopedic surgeon at Baptist Hospital, who has been the school's team physician for three years. Dr. Hommen conducts post-injury evaluations and treatment, oversees the sports medicine department, and does pre-season orthopedic screenings.

Herrera and Dr. Hommen leave an open line of communication in order to ensure that students are getting the treatment they need in order to heal from all types of injuries.

"During her time at St. Brendan, Dyani has created an atmosphere for student athletes and coaches to feel safe discussing and treating their injuries," Dr. Hommen said.

Dr. Jose Ferrer, a general practitioner, also offers his services to students. As a father of a student-athlete swimmer at the school, he has donated the funds that allowed St. Brendan to purchase new medical equipment for the athletic training department.

Herrera often refers students to Dr. Gabriel Carvajal, the owner and director of South Florida Rehab & Training Center.

The school has also integrated its Medical Sciences Academy with its athletic program, giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical clinical skills.

Herrera moderates a group of student trainers that shadow her on the job, at games, and at practices: Kaitlin Miller, Maria Castillo, Kaitlin Martinez and Vanessa Molano are all sophomores in the Medical Sciences Academy who have taken advantage of the opportunity.

"It seems that every year, St. Brendan is in competition with itself to be better than they were the year before a state of mind that could be beneficial for any school," said Dr. Hommen.

Katherine Rojas is a senior at St. Brendan High School who interned over the summer with the Florida Catholic newspaper.