Call 9-8-8!

Are you or someone you know experiencing a mental health crisis? As of July 16, 2022, you can call 988 for 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors for help while experiencing mental health-related distress. Examples of mental health related distress can include:

• Thoughts of suicide
• Mental health or substance use crisis
• Any other kind of emotional distress

You can call or text 988 for yourself or a loved one in need of crisis support. Congress designated 988 in 2020 as a replacement of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In Oregon, 988 operated by Lines For Life, a regional non-profit dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide.

COVID-19 Effect on Mental Health

The federal government established 988 as part of an effort to address the mental health crisis in America. This problem  has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 alone, the United States had one death by suicide every eleven minutes. This crisis  is especially evident in our youth where suicide is a leading cause of death for people ages 10-34.

Prior to COVID-19 a youth survey found that there was a 40% increase in high school students from 2009 to 2019 who reported experiencing persistent feeling of sadness or hopelessness. A survey of U.S. adolescent athletes taken in May 2020 found that rates of depression was six times higher for females and fourteen times higher for males compared to before the pandemic. In addition, 2021 research has shown significantly higher rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms, insomnia, disordered eating, and suicidal ideation compared to before the pandemic.

Addressing Concerns in Our Community

Due to these concerns, The Center Foundation launched our Mental Health program in the fall of 2021 in an effort to to address the unique mental health concerns experienced by student-athletes in our community. The Center Foundation has a unique platform to help raise awareness of psychological concerns in our community through our Sports Medicine outreach program, providing athletic trainers to local high schools in Central Oregon.

Role of Athletic Trainers

Athletic Trainers are a key part of a multi-disciplinary approach to raising awareness, recognizing concerns, and referring students to licensed mental health care professionals. Whereas Athletic Trainers cannot diagnose, evaluate, treat, or care of mental health issues/illnesses/disorders, they are educated in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health issues that may warrant a referral to an appropriate licensed healthcare professional.

Additionally, athletic trainers play a unique role in the healthcare setting. They are one of the few healthcare professionals who work with an athlete while they are healthy, present when an athlete is injured, and also work with them throughout their journey to full recovery. Therefore athletic trainers are in a position to get to know their patients on a unique, personal level and to build trust. Thus athletic trainers are in position to recognize psychological concerns early and/or may be in a situation in which the individual may be more willing open up and share issues they may be having.

Program Goals

Therefore the goals of The Center Foundation’s new mental health program is to raise awareness of these important issues in our community through the following processes:

• Educate our athletic training staff and local sport coaches in how to recognize, respond, and refer students in crisis.
• Work with the school districts we serve to develop a mental health emergency action plan.
• Develop ‘Mental Health Management’ teams at the schools we serve to identify and support students in need.
• Establish referral networks in the schools and communities we serve.
• Support efforts to increase access to mental health care for students.
• Launch an early recognition and screening program.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control. (2020). Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report 2009-2019.
2. McGuine TA, Biese KM, Petrovska L, et al. Mental Health, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life of US Adolescent Athletes During COVID-19-Related School Closures and Sport Cancellations: A study of 13000 Athletes. Journal of Athletic Training. 2021;56(1):11-19.
3. Lines for life. Lines For Life. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.linesforlife.org/
4. 988 key messages. SAMHSA. (2022, July 15). Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/key-messages

Written by: Stuart Schmidt, MS, ATC, CSCS Program Manager/Head Athletic Trainer for The Center Foundation in Bend, OR. Learn more about Stuart HERE.

11 Years of Helmet Safety Education in Central Oregon

The Center Foundation is proud to announce the eleventh year of its annual Train Your Brain program.  This injury prevention program educates more than 2,000 elementary school students in Central Oregon about brain injury prevention and the importance of helmet safety. Train Your Brain is made possible by the support of The Center Foundation’s community partners at First Interstate Bank, Summit Health and BendBroadband.

Risks of Brain Injury When Not Wearing a Helmet

“According  Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 9 out of 10 bicyclists who die in crashes are not wearing helmets” said Stuart Schmidt, Program Manager of The Center Foundation. “Train Your Brain began eleven years ago to help prevent injuries here in  Central Oregon  by educating and engaging students in a fun program that they have come to look forward to. We are so grateful to the school districts for recognizing the importance of this safety initiative. A special thanks goes to our partners at First Interstate Bank, Summit Health and BendBroadband. Without their support, we could not reach our goal of providing a free helmet to every local third grader who needs one.”

Free Helmets

Each year, The Center Foundation gives away over 1,000 free helmets to local elementary students through the Train Your Brain initiative. This year, the program is excitedly returning to an in-person presentation for the first time since 2019! The presentation consists of an exciting interactive assembly that provides information on injury prevention, helmet safety, fitting and care; and features a suspenseful melon drop demonstration. Following the presentation, representatives from The Center Foundation and volunteers from our partners will properly fit free multi-sport helmets for every student who needs one.

“Bend-La Pine Schools is very fortunate to once again have The Center Foundation sponsor the Train Your Brain program,” said Skip Offenhauser, Executive Director of Elementary Programs for Bend-La Pine Schools. “As an avid cyclist myself, I am well aware of the hazards we all face while on our bikes. Wearing a helmet is a simple, but effective habit we need to teach all of our students. We want to thank The Center Foundation for providing these lessons and providing students with free helmets with the help of First Interstate Bank, Summit Health and BendBroadband. We couldn’t ask for better community partners that care about the safety of our kids!”

2022 Schedule

Train Your Brain 2022 kicks off April 27^th to ensure students are prepared to enjoy summer activities in a safe manner. From April 27th – June 10th , staff from The Center Foundation will visit 35 elementary schools across Central Oregon.

To learn more about Train Your Brain, and to check out when we will be visiting your school head over to www.centerfoundation.org/brain-trust.

What is an Ankle Sprain? What to Expect from your Athletic Trainer

You’ve heard it before. “I rolled my ankle.” But what does that mean? A ‘rolled ankle’ otherwise known as an ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries experienced while playing sports. When your child’s school  ‘rolls’ or sprains their ankle, here is what to expect from the athletic trainer at your school taking care of your child’s injury.

Anatomy of an Ankle Sprain

The two most commonly injured ligaments injured in a lateral ankle sprain, the most common type of ankle injury, are the anterior talofibular (ATF) ligament and the calcaneofibular (CF) ligament. The ATF ligament  connects the fibula to the talus bone, and the CF ligament, connects the calcaneus, or heel, to the fibula. Both ligaments are  on the outside or lateral aspect of the ankle. The ATF and CF ligaments are most commonly injured when the foot is forcefully and excessively turned inward, past its normal healthy range of motion.

Injury Evaluation

Injury to either (or both) of these ligaments often results in pain and swelling around the injured area. After the injury occurs, the athletic trainer will evaluate the injury to assess the severity of the injury.  The Ottawa Ankle Rules are a group of tests designed to rule out a potential broken bone in the ankle and/or foot. The athletic trainer will perform these tests as well as others  to assess the stability of the major ligaments in the ankle. The athletic trainer will also assess for the possibility of other injuries in addition to testing the strength and available motion in the ankle.  After evaluating your child’s ankle the athletic trainer may recommend your child get x-rays  to further rule out the possibility of a broken bone.

Treatment and Care

Regardless of the severity of the injury, the initial treatment will be similar. Initial treatment will follow the RICE protocol. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Rest allows the ankle to heal without re-aggravation. The ice will help reduce the amount of pain your child is experiencing. The compression and elevation will help reduce and minimize the amount of swelling.

If your child is unable to bear weight the athletic trainer will provide them with crutches and/or a walking boot. During normal walking, the ankle ligaments allow motion in the foot/ankle while also providing stability to the foot and ankle.  Staying off the injury allows the ligaments to heal without the repeated stresses placed on them during normal daily activities.

If your athletic trainer recommends further care, contact your PCP or local orthopedic physician. If the injury is severe your athletic trainer may recommend a referral to the nearest urgent care clinic or ER.  Many times an ankle injury is not an emergency situation and does not need to seen in the ER. Follow the advise of your athletic trainer. They will recommend the best course of action for your child’s injury and help guide you through the recovery process.

Original article written by Michael Estes, MS, ATC, athletic trainer for The Center Foundation and Crook County High School in Prineville, OR. 

Mindfulness and Meditation: Strategies to Reduce Stress and Injury in Athletes

Most, if not all athletes experience some sort of stress or anxiety before games that may decrease their ability perform at their best. Learning how to channel this stress and/or anxiety can help with focus, sport performance, and injury reduction.  In addition most athletes also have stressors in their personal lives such as school and work. Stress can be described as an unpleasant emotional state or condition characterized by feelings of tension, apprehension, and worry (2). Mindfulness and meditation is a strategy that can be used to deal with this stress and anxiety.

 What is mindfulness and meditation?

Mindfulness is described as the awareness that arises from purposely paying attention in the present moment nonjudgmentally. (4). Mindfulness also indicates the acceptance and awareness of your attention, senses, feelings, and ongoing experiences without judging or trying to control them. This allows the individual  to embrace their thoughts and feelings instead of avoiding or ignoring them. (1)

As opposed to mindfulness, meditation is defined as  “a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.” (5) Mindfulness is one but an important component of meditation. Another important component of meditation includes concentration. (6)

Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation

Several studies report that psychological factors, especially stress, are related to sports injuries. Practicing stress management techniques have also been found to improve sport performance. (3) Chronic stress and the inability to adapt to stress over time can lead towards the inability to adapt to training, underperformance, overtraining syndrome, and ultimately athlete burnout. (4)

A study by Davis JO examined the effect that a progressive relaxation program had on injury rates on two collegiate sport teams.  They found that there was a 52% reduction in injuries for swimmers and a 33% reduction in serious injuries for football players after following the progressive relaxation program. (3) Furrer et al  conducted a 12-week mindfulness training program, they found that mindfulness had a positive impact on the athlete’s awareness, recovery, focus, performance, and also resulted in a reduction in burnout. (4)

Different Types of Meditation

Imagery:

Imagery meditation is a type of Transcendental Meditation technique. It is a very simple, natural and effortless way of letting your mind settle down into an extremely calm and wise state of rest. While in this state the patient can picture a positive experience of training. This type of  meditation has been shown to have high self-reported outcomes (1).

Self-Talk:

Self-Talk meditation is how one speaks of them self or to them self’s. This technique can play a high roll in performance, desire, and self-image. Mental skills such as self-talk, exposure, cognitive change, and acceptance have been classified as mechanisms of change in mindfulness meditation (1).

Relaxation:

Relaxation is the most common type of meditation in stress-reducing programs or personal development.  One way to practice relaxation meditation is to sit calmly with your eyes closed and concentrate on repeating a word or sound (1).

How to Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation training go hand in hand. It only takes about 5-10 minutes a day. Numerous studies have shown improvements with focus, performance, recovery, and overall health for individuals who practice mindfulness and meditation.

Incorporating mindfulness meditation into your daily life can be as easy as downloading  an app to your phone. Smiling Mind, HeadSpace, Calm, and Mylife Meditation are examples of some the many available apps to help begin a daily mindfulness and meditation practice. It may be challenging to find time to incorporate a daily practice into your routine, though this is when mindfulness meditation may be the most helpful. Start small by picking a time that you can consistently devote 3-5 minutes to practice mindfulness. For student athletes it could be also helpful to use it when traveling to or from a game to help calm, focus, and re-center athlete. Using a mindfulness meditation before game for per-competition stress or after a game when they could be feeling frustrated and anxious.

References

1. Performance enhancement through meditation in athletes: Insights from a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Tae Yoon Kima, Jung Hyun Kim, Ph.D.
2. The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on HPA-Axis in Pre-Competition Stress in Sports Performance of Elite Shooters. Dr. Shaji John, Dr. S. K Verma, Dr. G. L Khanna
3. Sports Injuries and Stress Management: An Opportunity for Research. James O. Davis. Human Kinetics Journals.
4. How Mindfulness Training may mediate Stress, Performance and Burnout. Furrer, Dr. F. Moen, and. Dr. K. Firing. The Sport Journal.
5. The Meeting of Meditative Disciplines and Western Pyschology: A Mutually Enriching Dialogue. Walsh, R. Shapiro, S.L. American Pyschologist
6. 5 Differences Between Mindfulness and Meditation. Schultz, J. Pyschology Today.

Written by: Tasji Urhausen MATRN, ATC madras high school athletic trainer for The Center Foundation in Bend, OR. Learn more about Tasji HERE.

Sisters High School Athletic Trainer Alex Walker on what it means to be a high school athletic trainer. 

What does it mean to have an Athletic Trainer (AT) at your school?

An Athletic Trainer (AT) is an allied healthcare professional who cares for athletes during every practice and game.  Athletic Trainers treat and manageemergent, acute, and chronic injuries and medical conditions through examination, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Additionally, injury prevention is a key aspect of the work we do. Part of preventing injuries, is working to ensure the conditions that athletes play and practice in are safe. For instance, Athletic Trainers monitor the weather and field conditions in order to ensure that a safe playing environment exists.

Having an AT at your school means you have a highly educated medical professional who does more than tapes ankles and gives out ice bags. The athletic trainer knows the athletes inside and out is there to take care of them if they are injured.

What makes an AT different from other medical professionals?

Athletic Trainers are at the school every day. We are a familiar face for every athlete and are the only medical professional to follow the athlete from the initial point of injury until he/she returns safely to the field, court, or track.

Athletic Trainers help decide whether follow care from a doctor is necessary or not. We guide the athlete through the rehabilitation process following injury and educate the athletes about the recovery process.

What happens when a school does not have an AT?

When a school does not have an Athletic Trainer, they are asking someone other than a trained medical professional to make medical decisions and respond to emergencies on the field. Often times a coach or parent may try to provide the services of an Athletic Trainer. While coaches have first aid and CPR training, they are not healthcare professionals.  In addition, they are being taken away from their primary role and may act with a clouded mind of wanting a specific outcome of a game.

Having an AT at your high school means that you have one designated person on the sidelines whose only job is to ensure the health and safety of the athletes.

Athletic trainers are a vital part of the high school healthcare team. We are there to take care of athletes on and off the field. Our goal is to support the athlete and make sure that their health and wellbeing are top priority. We are medical professionals that want to see every athlete thrive on and off the field.

Learn more about the education and licensing requirements to be an athletic trainer HERE.

Learn more about the importance of athletic trainers at the high school level HERE.

Written by: Alex Walker, ATC athletic trainer for The Center Foundation and Sisters High School in Sisters, OR. Learn more about Alex HERE.

The Center Foundation places dedicated athletic trainers in local high schools to provide sports medicine services to young athletes at no charge to the students or their families. Learn more about our work HERE.

We are pleased to announce Sandy Visnack as the new Executive Director of The Center Foundation. Visnack brings over two decades of nonprofit management and fundraising experience, working in leadership roles as Executive Director, Development Director and Communications Director for nonprofit organizations serving youth and families in Oregon and Colorado. With her deep commitment to Central Oregon youth and demonstrated leadership, Visnack will help The Center Foundation move forward in its mission to keep kids healthy and safe in Central Oregon.

“The work of The Center Foundation is so important to our community and it is an honor to join this organization,” said Visnack. “I look forward to building upon the strong foundation that has been developed and hope to leverage new opportunities in the upcoming months.”

Visnack holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Vermont and a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Colorado. Previous positions held include Director of Communication at NeighborImpact and Executive Director at Bend Endurance Academy. When not cheering on her daughter at mountain biking and cyclocross races, Sandy enjoys mountain biking, skiing and volunteering.

Visnack will succeed Sonja Donohue, who has retired after serving as Executive Director since 2015.

“We are grateful for Sonja’s leadership, stewardship of its programs, and development of a robust and diverse donor base over the past six years,” said Patsy Melville, The Center Foundation Board President. “Her legacy ensures that our local youth athletes will benefit from The Center Foundation’s programs for many years to come.”

The 2021-22 school year is underway and fall sports are back! We are excited to kick off a new year and continue to provide athletic trainers to local high schools to keep kids safe. This fall, look for us in your high school athletic training room where we will be on a daily basis providing onsite injury prevention and treatment services for YOUR student athlete.

Caldera Campaign

We are thrilled to announce that our program includes the newest school in Bend, Caldera High School, home of the Wolfpack! This fall, Emily Celner joins our team as the athletic trainer at Caldera. Please stop by the Caldera athletic training room and say “hi” to Emily. Most importantly, THANK YOU to all who contributed to our Caldera Campaign. Your support makes it possible to extend our services to more youth in Central Oregon.

Meet The Team 2021-22

In addition to the new position at Caldera High,  we would like to introduce a few other new member of our team. Danielle Keyes is the new athletic trainer at Summit High School. Tasji Urhausen is joining our team as the athletic trainer at Madras High School. Finally, Austin Michalski is the new athletic trainer at La Pine High School. You can learn more about our entire athletic training team HERE.

COVID-19 Update

18 months ago, who would have imagined that we would still be in the thralls of a global pandemic today? COVID-19 is just as much a part of daily conversations, protocols and processes now as it was then. Now, more than ever, the role of athletic trainers in schools is crucial to ensuring that youth participating in sports are receiving the services they need to stay healthy. In fact, the ability to safely attend school for education, social connection, and sports participation is critical to the mental and physical health of our youth. The Center Foundation is committed to promoting the health and safety of youth in Central Oregon, even through the pandemic. And, we will continue to do so for the 2021-22 school year and beyond.

In addition, we ensure that students infected by COVID-19 receive proper medical care and screening before returning to sports. As healthcare professionals, our athletic trainers continually advocate for and ensure that safety measures and protocols are followed to keep your young athlete healthy and safe.

Fall Sports are Back

In the meantime, we are excited for the return of fall sports, including football, volleyball, soccer and cross-country. We look forward to seeing you at the field, pitch, court, or finish line cheering on our local youth!

Written by: Stuart Schmidt, MS, ATC, CSCS athletic trainer supervisor for The Center Foundation in Bend, OR. Learn more about Stuart HERE.

Our grade school outreach program, Train Your Brain, brings brain safety education to third grade classrooms across Central Oregon. Each year, we visit every third grade classroom in Central Oregon, delivering a fun, educational presentation on the importance of preventing brain injuries. We focus on helmet safety, care and fitting of a multi-sport helmet. In addtion, the presentation caps off with our famous melon drop demonstration to highlight the importance of wearing a helmet. At the conclusion of the presentation, we give out and properly fit multi-sport helmets for every kid that needs one. In 2019, we visited more than 30 elementary schools across Central Oregon and gave out over 800 free helmets. We have proudly presented this program for the past 10 years.

Sadly, in 2020 we canceled our tour due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in 10 years, our third graders did not learn the importance of keeping their brains safe. Which is why, in 2021, we will resume Train Your Brain. By transitioning to a virtual program, we can ensure that kids receive the message about how to prevent brain injuries. Just as important, we make sure that every kid that needs a helmet gets a helmet.

New to Train Your Brain for 2021

This spring, we will include both third and fourth graders in our tour, enabling us to reach the kids that missed out last year. Our new video presentation works in both virtual and live classrooms. Of course, the video will our include famous melon drop demonstration and detailed instructions on how to fit a helmet properly. Teachers will help us deliver helmets to kids that need them.

While we will miss meeting and interacting with the kids in person, we are committed to adapting to the terms of the pandemic and doing our part to #keepkidssafeinsports.

This program is only possible because of the generous support from our program sponsors. Thank you to First Interstate Bank, Summit Medical Group, and Bend Broadband.

Written by: Stuart Schmidt, MS, ATC, CSCS athletic trainer supervisor for The Center Foundation in Bend, OR. Learn more about Stuart HERE.

The Center Foundation provides sports medicine services to young athletes at no charge to the students or their families. We do this by placing certified athletic trainers in local high schools to keep kids safe. Learn more about our work HERE.

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