getting game-ready

Perfectly
Protective Parents

How to prepare yourself in case
your child is injured on the field

  • Have your child’s medical information (allergies, chronic illnesses, and medications) and insurance on hand.
  • Talk to coaches or athletic trainers about how they would prefer parents handle emergency situations.
  • Ask your child how they would prefer you to handle emergency situations.
  • Wait a few minutes to see if your child gets up and shakes it off.
  • Head to the field’s entrance gate or to the ambulance stationed nearby when a serious injury occurs.
  
  • Overreact and run immediately onto the field; instead give the trained staff some time and space to make an initial assessment.
  • Embarrass your children (they will remember it forever!).
  • Yell at coaches, trainers, or players in the heat of the moment.
  • Wait until Monday if you think the injury could be serious.
The doctor is in on weekends!

In order to better serve young athletes in East Texas. Azalea Orthopedics hosts free Saturday clinics each week during football season. “Players and their parents are our No. 1 priority,” says Robert Dennis, MD. “You don’t have to wait to get an appointment, and players receive immediate treatment, which can speed recovery and relieve parental anxiety.”

Dr. Dennis says relieving parental concern is the biggest benefit he receives from participating in the clinics. “It’s a great feeling to show parents that we care about the well-being of their children and to offer this cost-effective way of performing initial screening,” he says.

The Saturday clinics run through November 18 and are staffed with an orthopedic surgeon and two athletic trainers from 10 a.m. to noon. The Saturday clinics enable players to see a physician the morning after a big game rather than having to wait until Monday to make an appointment. These clinics are a valuable resource for trainers as well, relieving them of an influx of players seeking treatment on Mondays.

With its extended resource of skilled physicians, Azalea is positioned to handle numerous patients and a wide range of injuries at the convenience of its visitors. For more information, call (903) 939-7550, ext. 7129.