CATC Plays a Vital Role in Reading Express' Success on the Field
February 21, 2011 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Reading Express News Release
Reading, Pa. (February 21, 2011) - Teamwork is the foundation of everything great. Every great team, school, country and organization relies on it. Healthcare is no exception. For the past four years, the Reading Express indoor professional football organization has relied on the teamwork and professionalism of the staff of Comprehensive Athletic Treatment Center (CATC), part of The Reading Hospital Medical Group.
Just as a great football team has position players who specialize in their trade, CATC has dedicated and knowledgeable staff who take their experience into the professional football realm. This begins with a comprehensive and thorough Preparticipation Physical Examination.
Going beyond the standard scoliosis, flexibility, blood pressure and height and weight checks, Reading Express players are subjected to a battery of exams to determine whether they are fit and safe to play football at the caliber that is demanded of the Reading Express and the Indoor Football League.
A combination of physicians, certified athletic trainers, nurses, and radiology technicians get to work every January and February to inspect both new and returning players who hope to take the field.
After the musculoskeletal screening, players are treated to an EKG screening along with spirometry testing, which is conducted by either a Registered Nurse or Athletic Trainer. This testing is beneficial to both the team and the player, as underlying cardiac and/or pulmonary problems that the player may not know exist are brought to their attention. It also allows the team physician to determine if there are any serious heart or lung conditions that would make it unsafe for a player to take the field.
Also performed is a urinalysis screening. Nurses and/or athletic trainers check for agents in the player's sample that would unmask other internal issues that they player may not be aware of. In most cases, the finding of trace blood, glucose or protein would not disqualify a player from taking the field; but it may alert them to something that is challenging their general health.
ImPact testing is also performed. This neuropsychological testing is done to provide the medical staff a baseline of brain function should a player suffer a head injury. Although time-consuming, the results of this test provide the team physician an objective tool with which to determine when it is safe to return him to play.
The Reading Express demand the best. The best coaches and players around have found their way to Reading. Having the best Sports Medicine team in the Reading area puts one more puzzle piece in place in our drive to a championship in our inaugural year in the IFL.
Since 2008 when CATC began providing care for the Express players, they have taken pride in screening athletes well to provide the coaching staff with the best information regarding the fitness of their potential players. John M. Howell, ATC, CSCS, head athletic trainer, has found a few players with lingering injuries that were not ready to compete at the level necessary for the Reading Express. CATC works to treat any potential injury or illness that might allow our players to be safe and effective for the success of our team.
Reading Express Indoor Professional Football will begin the 2011 season on Saturday, February 26, on The Reading Hospital Medical Group Field at Sovereign Center against the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. Tickets are now on sale at www.expressindoorfootball.com, or you can call 610.372.PASS (7277) to order.
The Reading Express is one of the most established franchises in indoor football. In five seasons, the team has amassed an overall record of 64-20 with four playoff appearances, two conference titles and the 2009 AIFA National Championship. In 2011, Reading will begin play as a new member of the Indoor Football League.
Indoor Football League Stories from February 21, 2011
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- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
- CATC Plays a Vital Role in Reading Express' Success on the Field - Reading Express
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