The University of Maine Presque Isle’s Coordinator of Athletic Training, Barbara Blackstone, attended a one-day summit on youth sports safety with the National Athletic Trainers Association and athletic training groups from across the nation on Dec. 7 in Washington, D.C.

The summit focused on preventing and treating sports related injuries. In particular, it looked at issues related to the management of sudden cardiac arrest, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injuries and concussions. The summit also brought forth new protocols for athletic trainers to follow when dealing with sports related injuries.

“As the Athletic Training Education Program Director at UMPI, it was exciting to be there when the latest research was rolled out to the group, and to be able to bring that information home to our students, providing the most current standards of care for cardiac, sickle cell, spinal cord and concussion protocols,” Blackstone said.

Blackstone helped lead the delegation from Maine as Vice-President of the Maine Athletic Trainers Association’s Executive Board. The Maine Athletic Trainers Association is a group of athletic trainers located across the state that work to educate citizens throughout Maine about athletic training and work to promote safety and care of physically active people.

UMPI’s Athletic Training program is a nationally accredited program. Students in the program combine classroom learning with clinical rotations on campus and in the community to prepare to become certified athletic trainers.