Hughston Foundation Athletic Training

As the official sports medicine provider for numerous local and regional teams, the Hughston Foundation cares for athletes at sporting competitions and helps plan and implement safety protocols and procedures at sporting events. Whether at the softball fields of South Commons, on the sidelines of the soccer fields at the Woodruff Farm Road complex, or at a sporting event in the Columbus Civic Center, the Hughston Foundation is there to provide medical coverage for area athletes and spectators. Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) not only help with medical coverage at special events, but also work on site daily with many local high school athletes.

The Hughston Athletic Trainers provide regular sideline coverage throughout the week for local high school sporting events. It is also the official first-aid provider at many athletic and public events throughout the Chattahoochee Valley. Hughston athletic trainers provided medical coverage for the following:

  • Georgia High School Association State Softball Tournament
  • National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes Swimming and Diving Championship
  • Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All Star Football Game
  • National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes Softball Championship
  • Georgia High School Association State Track Championship

Wrestling Assessments

The Hughston Foundation continues to partner with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) in serving as the regional site for mandated assessments for local wrestling programs. Before student-athletes can compete in GHSA-sanctioned events, they must pass an assessment that measures height, weight, hydration status, and overall body fat percentage. These values are then entered into a computer program that calculates how many pounds an athlete can safely lose during the season. Both the Hughston Foundation and the GHSA are committed to ensuring safe weight loss for all area high school wrestlers.

Preparticipation Screenings (IAHCR)

More than 100 employees, physicians, nurses, athletic trainers, and students from the Hughston network, and volunteers, participate in the annual preparticipation health screenings for local high school athletes. The Institute of Athletic Health Care and Research (IAHCR) directs and organizes the screenings and accompanying research, and the Hughston Foundation cosponsors them.

The chief objective of these screenings is to detect conditions that could place the athlete or other participants at risk for injury. Each year, athletes from more than 15 area high schools are screened. The cost of screening for each athlete is $10.00: $5.00 goes into an account at the athlete’s school for training equipment not covered by the athletic budget, and $5.00 goes toward the cost of screening supplies.

Under the direction of the late Stephen C. Hunter, MD, the Hughston Foundation created the Institute to serve the athletic community and pursue research in sports medicine. Since 1976, the IAHCR has completed more than 55,000 screenings. We add the results of these screenings to our database, which researchers use to study athletes’ health. Thanks to our volunteers and knowledgeable healthcare professionals, the preparticipation screening program has positively impacted the health and safety of the area’s high school athletes.