Feb 22, 2017Finalist: Melissa Black
Training & Conditioning, along with School Health, were swamped with deserving nominees for our 2017 Most Valuable Athletic Trainer Award! In the spirit of celebrating athletic trainers during National Athletic Training Month, we’re highlighting our five deserving finalists each week in the month of March. This week’s honoree is Melissa Black, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Goochland (Va.) High School.
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The administration at Goochland (Va.) High School knows how lucky they are to have an athletic trainer, as other schools in their district do not. Even luckier is that they have Melissa Black, ATC, as Head Athletic Trainer and sports medicine instructor. Black has firm beliefs on the importance of sports medicine and makes it her mission to share her knowledge and time with student-athletes, the school, and the community.
As an athletic trainer, she has been steadfast in her desire to make sports safer for student-athletes. She has taken charge of the Concussion Management Team for the county, where she organizes, leads meetings, and even developed a countywide concussion policy. Black has also been involved in training EMTs in managing sports injuries, providing CPR and AED training for coaches, and has served time on the Goochland High School Crisis Committee.
Her caring attitude doesn’t stop with Goochland’s student-athletes, though. “It is not uncommon for other schools to request her assistance when visiting for away games,” wrote Goochland Athletic Director Bryan Gordon in his nomination letter. “Her professional assistance is valued by schools across the district.”
It is not uncommon for other schools to request her assistance when visiting for away games
