Columnist Adam Candee: HealthSouth, district working on trainers

Adam Candee

Friday, Oct. 4, 2002 | 10:47 a.m.

Adam Candee covers high school sports for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at candee@lasvegassun.com.

TONIGHT'S GAMES

All kickoffs at 7 p.m.

Last week's meeting between Clark County School District officials and HealthSouth representatives did not produce a solution to the shortage of athletic trainers at east-side area high schools. But it did open a discussion with some potential.

"I think we made some progress," said Larry McKay, athletic director for CCSD.

HealthSouth representative Jim Porter said last week that his company would present a "business for business" trade opportunity for the district. After the meeting, McKay said that arrangement involves the school district attempting to steer more insurance business toward HealthSouth and its partners.

"HealthSouth feels that the district has the power to do that maybe more than it is now," McKay said.

Just days before the start of football practice, former athletic trainer provider Sunrise Children's Hospital announced it would no longer be able to underwrite the $175,000 cost of providing trainers to east-side high schools. Not having full-time athletic trainers at all schools for the first time in four years caused great concerns for parents, athletes, and administrators.

HealthSouth, which provides athletic trainers for schools on the west side of the Valley, is proposing to also supply schools currently without full-time help (Chaparral, Desert Pines, Eldorado, Las Vegas, Rancho, Silverado, and Valley) if it can reach agreement with CCSD.

Porter said the cost to provide athletic trainers to all schools is about $350,000. McKay said CCSD budgets $2,500 per school to cover athletic training costs.

Currently, either athletic training staff or ambulances staff all Friday night football games.

Three golf matches were postponed Tuesday and another came to an early conclusion. Wednesday's schedule was loaded with high school tennis matches, a number of which needed to be rescheduled because the rain made courts unplayable.

"This is pretty unusual," school district athletic director Larry McKay said as he scrambled to deal with scheduling concerns. "I'd think I was back in Washington."

It certainly felt that way around the Legacy Golf Club on Tuesday, as the Green Valley girls golf team broke the national record for consecutive dual match wins (a streak that hit 130 with a tight Thursday win over Silverado). Who said that golf is a glamour sport?

Fighting a wind that knocked over golf bags and knocked down solid golf shots, Gators senior Tahnee Harrison hit a good-looking approach shot into the stiff wind. There was only problem -- the ball disappeared into the Great Beyond.

The golfers searched all over for the missing ball, trying to keep both their hats and their patience. Harrison finally gave up, and just as she did, a gust of wind to make Poseidon proud ripped through the fourth hole.

One reporter looked at the battered golfer and said, "This is unbelievable."

Harrison just shook her head.