The WHS Sports Medicine Program formally began in the Fall of 1993. Students in the program have the opportunity to experience both the academic and practical aspects of Sports Medicine. Students enrolled in Sports Medicine Practicum serve as student athletic trainers and work in the Athletic Treatment Center with Panther athletes learning the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries.

SPORTS MEDICINE is a 1 period, full-year class. The program also features the Sports Medicine Practicum (work in the Athletic Treatment Center and with our athletic teams). The class emphasizes practical, hands-on participation in the following areas: anatomy of sports injuries, taping/wrapping sports injuries, first aid and emergency care, rehabilitation of injuries (therapeutic exercise/modalities), sports nutrition/pyschology, sports medicine careers, and clinical field experience in community health care/sports medicine facilities, and more... Students also have the opportunity to earn credits through Wenatchee Valley College by successfully completing Sports Medicine.

About the Program Director/Instructor

Dale F. Blair, MS, CSCS, ATC

Mr. Blair is a certified athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist. He teaches Sports Medicine, Sports Medicine Practicum, Introduction to Health Occupations, Fitness Specialist, and Fitness Specialist Practicum at Wenatchee High School. He was selected as Washington State Sports Medicine Educator of the Year in 1995. He is also the Head Athletic Trainer for Wenatchee Panther athletic teams. Mr. Blair previously served as the Director of Sports Medicine at the Wenatchee Valley Clinic Sports Medicine Center from 1984-1992. He was also selected to serve on the sports medicine staff of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and the 1990 Goodwill Games.
He was selected for the Tinactin Award for Best New Program in a School or Community. Only one such honor is awarded nationally each year. Mr. Blair was also recognized with the Washington State Excellence in Education Award in May, 2001.

You can e-mail Dale Blair at blair.d@mail.wsd.wednet.edu

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Program Honors/Awards

The WHS Sports Medicine Team won the 1998 State Championship at the Washington Association of Secondary School Vocational Sports Medicine Programs. WHS Sports Medicine Team has placed in the Top 4 the last eleven consecutive years at the State Sports Medicine Competition of the Washington Association of Secondary School Vocational Sports Medicine Programs, now the Washington Vocational Sports Medicine Association. The Panthers have finished 2nd in state the past six years (2000-2005) Individually, Wenatchee has had two state champions: Nic Truscott in 2002 and Julie Stahly in 2003.

The Wenatchee High School Sports Medicine Program was honored with the High School Athletic Training Management Award of Excellence for 1995 by Athletic Management Magazine. The award was presented for a Cervical Injury Symposium that as conducted to coordinate all on-the-field medical personnel with a cervical injury protocol. Click here to see a copy of this protocol.

The WHS Sports Medicine Program/Curriculum was recognized in the June 1996 issue of the NATA News. To see the Wenatchee vocational sports medicine curriculum please click here. The WHS Sports Medicine Program was also featured in an article in Current Health magazine (September 1997).

The WHS Sports Medicine Program has been selected to write a column for Prep Illustrated, a national high school sports magazine. Students write a monthly column on a different sports medicine topic for each issue. Sports medicine students Lisa Zanol, Ruth Sarles, and Adam Noble articles have also been published in The First Aider magazine from Cramer Products, Inc.

Visit the Wenatchee High School Athletic Treatment Center