Ranney School’s athletic program is starting the school-year on an impressive note, being named the fourth school in New Jersey to receive the Safe Sports School Award from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). The award is given to schools that have outlined specific actions that will lead an already existing athletic program to the highest safety standard for its players.Ranney School earned a 1st Team Award, which is given to schools that act on all of the recommended and required elements for safety standards (2nd Team Awards are granted to schools that have completed only the required elements; see more details below). “The health and well-being of our students is our priority in the Athletic Department,” says Ranney’s Athletic Trainer Neila Buday, LAT. “This award provides great affirmation for our school. We have the people, policies and protocols in place to provide the safest environment for our student–athletes.” Ranney received a banner of recognition for its 1st Team Award, which will soon be on display on campus.Mrs. Buday and the Athletic Department are also proud to highlight Ranney’s renovated Athletic Training Room, which will go a long way toward ensuring the safety of our athletes. Thanks to Annual Fund gifts from a number of supporters, the athletic training room is now fully equipped with the resources needed to support the safety and wellness of Ranney athletes throughout the training and playing seasons. The build-out, located inside the Gerhard Pavilion for Athletics (GPA), triples the room’s capacity, providing for sufficient rehabilitation and evaluation space, suitable treatment areas, and overall, a more appropriate and beneficial environment for the prevention, care and monitoring of our student–athletes. New equipment includes two taping stations, two treatment tables, a Thera-Band multi-exercise wall station, a rebounder with medicine balls for balance, proprioception and plyometric exercise, a weight cart and cold-compression unit as well as other assorted athletic training equipment.“Aesthetically, as well as functionally, it will be a huge contribution to Ranney Athletics,” says Mrs. Buday. “It provides significantly more treatment space and allows for greater access, care and prevention of athletic injury. The new space also offers much more efficiency as student-athletes can do rehab and treat injuries during study hall and after school. We now have a full-service athletic training facility of which we can be proud!”NATA’s Team Awards were created to recognize secondary schools around the country that provide safe environments for student-athletes. The initiative reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment. To achieve Safe Sport School status, athletic programs must do the following:• Create a positive athletic health care administrative system• Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations• Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities• Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment• Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes• Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions• Provide or facilitate injury intervention• Create and rehearse venue-specific Emergency Action Plan• Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/education• Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities.For more information, please visit www.athletictrainers.org or www.nata.org