Sports medicine class gives students hands-on learning

Athletes rely on many people to keep them at the peak of their performance abilities -- coaches, teammates, athletic trainers and sports medicine specialists, to name a few. The newly reinstated sports medicine class at Highland gives high school students the opportunity to learn the basics of sports medicine and use what they’ve learned to help their classmates.

Derek Tedder is the Director of Sports Medicine at Highland and said the class puts students in real life situations dealing with Highland’s student athletes. It’s a chance to have practical experience while being taught the correct principles.

“This class gives students the chance to see what it’s like to work in the sports medicine field in real situations,” he said. “They perform the tasks sports medicine professionals do on a daily basis to get athletes ready to compete.”

The class was taught at Highland but was moved to East several years ago. Tedder said the district made the decision to move it back because of the high demand and because of the strong history it has had at Highland.

During the year, students learn many different aspects about sports medicine including common injuries, modalities of treatment, sports psychology and nutrition. It also helps students learn about different careers and decide which direction to take.

Students are required to help during five practices and be at five sporting events. Tedder said this gives the students the chance to apply the skills they’ve learned in class. It also gives the students who want to pursue a career in sports medicine some practical experience before they leave high school.

“The students are going to see a lot of things from an injury standpoint at the games. It will allow them to see what we’re talking about in a real life setting,” he said. “Seeing what professionals do on the field helps the students make the connection between classroom and real life.”

Christina Thorderson is taking the class this semester and brings with her the perspective of being both an athlete and having an interest in sports medicine. Thorderson plays basketball and softball and said she became interested in a career in sports medicine from working with Tedder and other trainers while at Highland. She said she hopes this class will give her an advantage when she starts college.

“Throughout the years, I’ve seen what Derek does and had my fair share of visits to the hospital. I’ve always found it very interesting how the body works,” Thorderson said. “This class has been great. It’s taught by people who have taken classes and done all the work. They know what they are talking about. By knowing what I’m going to be taught beforehand, it will make college a little easier.”

Many students from the University of Utah’s athletic training program do internships at Highland. These students get the chance to work with professionals like Tedder and the high school athletes but also get to work alongside the students and share the knowledge they’ve learned with the students.

“It’s something I wish I would have had in high school,” said University of Utah senior Chandler Turley. “This class helps them if they want to do sports medicine as a career and if it’s something they are going to like.”