Georgia Pharris ‘22, rugby player, slams into a teammate during practice and hits their head. They scramble around campus trying to find someone to help them get to the hospital. After asking three people, they finally find someone to drive them to Cooley Dickinson Hospital. There, Pharris sits in the waiting room distressed, wondering if their insurance will cover their bill. They leave the hospital four hours later diagnosed with a mild concussion.
Pharris, along with many others in Smith club sports, have been left to find their own help after getting serious injuries because of a new policy. As of this school year, club sport athletes do not have access to athletic trainers; traditionally, trainers could refer club athletes to medical services for injury. Concern has risen in the club sport community, and many team leaders wrote letters to Smith’s athletic administration requesting new systems for receiving medical attention for injuries.
Club sports were not given notice about the new policy; instead, they found out when a rugby player went to the athletic trainers for help with an injury and was turned away. Many athletes wish they had been warned about the new policy before it was put into place on September 1st.
This summer, at a NEWMAC meeting with Smith athletic trainers, questions of liability arose when discussing the coverage of club sports. In tandem with Stacy Kroll, the Five College director of Compliance & Risk Management, the athletic administration made a plan to take away club sports’ access to the athletic trainers.
On October 8, leaders of Ultimate Frisbee, Ice Hockey and Rugby wrote a letter to Associate Athletic Director Bonnie May and Director of Athletics & Recreation Kristin Hughes. They requested short term access to trainers for concussion diagnosis and referrals to sport medicine providers outside of Smith, as well as long term goals of a club sports trainer position.
In the letter, they wrote, “The lack of immediate healthcare in walkable distance jeopardizes our players who suffer concussions and other injuries during practices.”
After the letter was sent, the club sports presidents met with May to make a plan moving forward for the year. They decided the trainers would take a week to teach basic skills like the difference between strains and sprains to club presidents. A medical information packet will also be passed out to club presidents to be disseminated to the rest of the teams.
May said that since all players will have access to medical information, “Every club member isn’t dependent on their president but can be more educated themselves. They can be responsible for their own health.”
May went on to say, “I felt like the meeting today was really productive for club presidents and we came up with some concrete things to improve the situation.”“[The meeting] went as well as it could have, but stuff still needs to be done.” Molly Aber, president of Ultimate Frisbee, said, “It’s frustrating that the administration won’t take responsibility for their part in it… All we are asking for is health care and to get the same treatment that varsity athletes have.”
“I had heard previously that Bonnie was not going to change anything,” said Annie Kay, Ice Hockey president. “The fact that they were willing to work with us surprised me, and I think it’s going to solve the problems that we need to solve immediately.”
There will also be a new injury report form for club sports that will go directly to May. May said she will have a meeting with a health center worker to see how they can improve the situation.
“Hard to say,” May said when asked if all the medical needs of club sport athletes will be fulfilled. “We have a few wrinkles that need to be worked out.”
In the letter, the club sports presidents also wrote, “We write to express our dismay at Smith’s decision to suspend our access the school’s athletic trainers without notice, the chance to comment, or any adequate alternative in place.”
Many club sports backed out of signing the letter after initial interest because they did not feel like they had enough need and connection to trainers to feel strongly about fighting this new policy. The Fencing team, Futsal, and Squash team along with the Frisbee, Rugby, and Ice Hockey team have signed the letter.
Aber explained that club sports are more economically accessible than varsity sports, as club sports require no dues and a team will cover the cost of any gear needed for the sport.
She explained that now she has to tell her teammates, “If you get injured at practice and it’s a situation that you might have to go to urgent care and be faced with a $200-300 medical bill. That’s going to turn people away.”
“The letter showed that we actually care about this.” Aber said, “Our teams care about this. We are worried about this. I think that if the student body shows that they care about this issue, that would be effective. Our next step will probably be going through SGA (Student Government Association).”
