The sports medicine (sports med) class at LASA consists of teaching skills focusing on the basic application of medicine in sports, like how to treat a wound or wrap an injury. LASA offers three different levels of sports med classes, which provides the opportunity for students to prepare for any future careers in medicine. 

 Sports med students practice their skills in real time by going to school football games and evaluating injured players. Sports med teacher Sue Torres has been a high school sports med teacher for 15 years and helps students get an in-depth understanding of sports medicine when they take the class. 

“Sports med one is a good intro, and then they do an evaluation,” Torres said. “Sports med two, we continue on improving their evaluation skills, but then we do modalities which are treatment modalities, [which can be] as simple as an ice bag but as complicated as ultrasound, and then we do rehab also. Sports med three doesn’t happen that often, but it’s project based, so they do little projects.”

Many students who take this class find it really helpful, such as senior Nicolás Gallego, who said that the knowledge students acquire in this class can help them in the future. Gallego is taking sports med three, the highest level of the class, and believes that the class is particularly beneficial for students who want to go into the medical field. 

“This class is very important,” Gallego said. “It’s good for learning basic anatomy and human function, and it’s also good if you want to pursue a career in athletic training. I think it is very important to know if you hurt yourself. Sports med has taught me how to treat my own injuries and help myself get better.”

Like Gallego, senior sports med two student Jaelin Su, also believes that taking this class helps students later in their careers and personal life. Although not all students who take this class are definite in the career that they want to pursue, Su said this class is helpful in realizing your passion. 

“Sports med is an important class to take because it’s helpful to know how the body works, and you’ll be prepared if anyone ever gets hurt on the field,” Su said. “This class helps me with my future because I have realized that I was to go into the healthcare field. Going into college, I have all this knowledge about anatomy, specific injuries, and healing.”

Not only does this class help students learn more about human anatomy, but Torres said the class also helps students have hands-on experience with injuries. Although Torres is the athletic trainer in school, sports med students also get to experience the job by helping her during a range of athletic events such as football and basketball games. 

“Being the only athletic trainer in school, the more educated my student athletic trainers are, the more they can help me,” Torres said. “I get kids that can help me and are really interested in doing minor medical stuff, and then I get more hands.” 

By providing a more hands-on experience, not only do students get a better understanding of this field, but they also get a very enjoyable experience, according to Torres. Even if students taking this class do not plan on proceeding with a career in the medical field, Torres said this class will help them throughout their life.

“I’ve also loved being a student athletic trainer because we get to practice our skills in game-time situations at the LASA sports events,” Su said. “Being an athletic trainer is by far the best part of sports med. The experience is so fun and helpful for the rest of your life.”