The Upper School is offering a semester-long sports medicine class for the first time next year. Jaron Olson, the Upper School’s athletic trainer, proposed the class last fall.

“Mr. Keller was very supportive,” he said. “I’ve been working with Ms. Gargano on getting the course developed.” The class, which is not worth PE credit, is presently going through the UC course approval procedure, a process that should be completed by this summer. Currently, the class is open for enrollment.

Harker Aquila: Why did you decide to create your Health Medicine class?

Jaron Olson: I wanted to develop the Kinesiology and Sports Medicine class so students would have an opportunity to learn more about the fields of study and occupations that fall under the umbrella of Kinesiology.  That includes fields related to human performance, such as Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics, as well as health care careers including athletic training, physical therapy, chiropractic, medicine, etc.

HA: What will be covered in this class?

JO: We will look at concepts including functional anatomy, movement analysis, recognition and treatment of common athletic injuries, protective taping and other injury prevent techniques, and a whole lot more.

HA: What has the response been to your class?

JO: The response has been great, so far over 30 students are enrolled, enough for two sections of the class.  I knew we had lots of students who would be interested in these topics, but I was not exactly sure how many would actually enroll, so I was very pleased at the response.

HA: How many credits is it worth?

JO: The standard ½ unit per semester.

HA: How many semesters is it?

JO: We will actually have two semester long courses.  Basically, level I and level II.  That way students who are excited about the subject material can take the year long course.  But it also allows students who want to take a different elective in the spring semester to do that as well.

HA: Can you give an example of the kind of work your students will be doing this coming year?

JO: Each unit will be a little bit different, however, my goal is for much of the class to consist of hands on learning.  We will have many lab activities where we will learn and practice practical skills.  Projects will include injury case studies, as well as presentations on a specific field of study each student is interested in, splinting/spine-boarding, ankle taping.  As part of the unit on “Responding to Emergencies”, students will also earn certification in First Aid, CPR, and AED (automated external defibrillator).

HA: What do you hope your students will get out of your class?

JO: I hope some students will learn more about a field of study that intrigues them.   I knew very little about the field of Kinesiology prior to entering college, I didn’t even know the profession of athletic training existed.   So I hope students will gain an appreciation for the topic, regardless of what type of careers they end up pursuing.  The great thing about this class, I think, will be that whether or not students end up entering a Kinesiology or Sports Medicine related field, these are concepts and skills that will be valuable for them. Useful information for anyone who is physically active, anyone who ends up coaching their kid’s youth soccer team, or anyone who is just fascinated by the human body.