Brittany Rainbolt of Coweta streches the leg of another student during TU's athletic training camp Friday.
DAVID CRENSHAW / Tulsa World

TU camp shows high school students there's more to it than taping ankles, squirting water bottles.

About 50 high school students spent the past three days learning the fine art of tape ripping, crutch fitting and life- saving skills relative to sports. For 15 years, the University of Tulsa has sponsored an athletic training camp to help high school sports departments deal with injuries and preventive measures.

"There is a huge need for that," said Greg Gardner, one of the program's directors. "Ask any coach who tried to go through a season without an athletic trainer. You'd be amazed how many of these kids have keys to the fieldhouse."

This year, the students worked on everything sports-training related, from taping ankles to fitting a football helmet. The three-day intensive workshop gives them proper evaluation skills in order to return to their schools as athletic trainers.

It's more than just squirting water bottles.

"I figured it would be lectures, but it was a lot more," said Mallory Evans, who attends Edison High School. "I was surprised that the first day we had to tape ankles."

More than 20 Oklahoma high schools sent students to the camp including those in Tulsa, Union, Broken Arrow, Ponca City, Tahlequah, Midwest City and Shiloh Christian. Some students are making their second trip to the camp.

And many students have a common bond which brings them.

"I blew my knee out in football last year and helped someone (training) during the season," said Eufaula High School's Nathan Morris. "It piqued my interest and I want to pursue this farther."

Morris can be counted among others who walk around with scars on their knees or other parts and now rely on training to keep them near the playing field.

"I pulled my ligaments in my ankles last March, but I still want to be around sports," said Nicole Palmer of Ponca City. "The athletic trainer there asked me to do this."

Besides taping, topics include how injuries occur, strength and conditioning, basic nutrition and working with special populations such as diabetics. Students will also be trained in CPR and receive Red Cross certification.

But it's not all bruises and bandages. Students get a crash course in human anatomy.

"They don't offer anatomy at my school, so that really interested me," Morris said.

One area which has helped train more high school students in the field is advancement in evaluating injuries. Gardner said it is simpler to evaluate the seriousness of a head injury.

"We thought that was important because there are over 300,000 head injuries a year with 100,000 of those in football," he said.

But for some students, the tape was hard enough.

"Tearing tape is really difficult. That took a long time to learn," Evans said. "I got a lot of calluses."

Scott Cooper, World staff writer, can be reached at 581-8469 or via e-mail at scott.cooper@tulsaworld.com.