There was 30 seconds left in the third quarter of the Pullman versus Clarkston high school basketball playoff game when Cade Rogers’ mom, Amy, noticed him holding his back like he was hurt. It can be a helpless feeling as a parent seeing your child in pain. Thankfully, Pullman High School is part of Pullman Regional Hospital’s Regional High School Athletic Training Program, which provides a full-time athletic trainer to local high schools for practices and games.
Pullman High School’s athletic trainer, Jaimie Haramoto jumped into action when Cade began experiencing back pain, pulling him out of the game. She took him over to the side of the gym and began running through a series of stretches with Cade, as well as rolling out his back.
After receiving treatment from Jaimie, Cade was cleared to head back into the game 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. Once returning to the court, Cade stayed in the game until the end, scoring eight additional points to help Pullman defeat Clarkston 70-53. “She worked her magic,” recalls Amy.
“As a mom, I wanted to go down to the court right away when I saw my son was hurt, but I was confident in Jaimie’s expertise and was so grateful she was there,” says Amy. Another benefit of having athletic trainers at high school sporting events is that it takes the pressure off the coach to determine if an athlete is okay to return to play. “I knew Jaimie wouldn’t send him back into the game to play if she didn’t think it would be in his best interest medically.”
After the game, Amy texted Jaimie to see what at-home care Cade needed. “She responded immediately and was so reassuring,” recalls Amy. “She made sure to check him out before practice the next day as well to ensure he was still okay to play.”
“Having access to immediate medical care at the game is incredible. I’m so thankful to Jaimie and the Regional High School Athletic Training Program for helping keep student-athletes like my son safe,” says Amy.
The Regional High School Athletic Training Program puts Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) in 4 local high schools (Pullman, Garfield-Palouse, Potlatch, and Colton) to provide consistent and efficient treatment, triage, and prevention of sports injuries. Student-athletes have access to these services at no cost to the family. This program is only possible through philanthropy. If you’re interested in learning more about the program and its impact on student-athletes like Cade, visit pullmanregional.org/athletic-training