Report: A certified athletic trainer wasn’t present when Mississippi high school player died
By Adam Spencer
Published:
On Friday, tragedy struck in Mississippi when 16-year-old Byhalia DL Dennis Mitchell collapsed and died during a game.
On Monday, it was revealed that a certified athletic trainer wasn’t present for the game — a measure that could have possibly saved Mitchell’s life.
According to Don Hinton, who is the executive director of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, having a certified athletic trainer on site for games isn’t a requirement (via the Memphis Commercial Appeal):
Hinton said some available trainers travel on a rotation, but it is largely up to the host school whether one will be available.
“Schools are responsible for having a certified athletic trainer on site during the games,” he said. “We’d like for all 250 or so schools to have one on site, but it’s just not easy for us to provide one for every game in Mississippi each weekend.”
Hinton added that smaller institutions such as 2A classified Coahoma County High, have trouble securing trainers on a regular basis.
It’s impossible to say whether having a trainer would have saved Mitchell’s life or not, but it couldn’t have hurt.
Whether Mississippi changes its rules regarding trainers on sidelines remains to be seen.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
