Jun 15, 2017Making Sideline Evaluation Private
The moments immediately following an injury are critical in terms of getting an accurate evaluation and diagnosis. But those moments are made much more difficult and tense when spectators, fans, and other athletes are all watching. This situation not only infringes on the privacy of the injured athlete, but also makes an already difficult job even harder for the athletic trainers and medical personnel on the scene. But now, thanks to the
SidelinER by Kinematic Sports, LLC, there is a simple and affordable solution.
For years, Jeff Allen, MS, ATC, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Head Football Athletic Trainer at the University of Alabama, had searched for a way to provide more privacy during sideline injury evaluations. Failing to find an effective method, he came up with his own solution—a portable, collapsible tent that provides shelter from peering fans and cameras.
The result is the SidelinER, a solution for sideline injury care that is now used by colleges and high schools around the country. “The SidelinER provides
a private exam room on the sideline, which protects the privacy of the injured athlete,” says Allen. “It also enhances the overall evaluation and allows for a
more thorough and effective exam. I’ve seen this happen with us at Alabama. The players and the medical staff are much, much calmer when they’re in that private environment. So it’s really gone beyond what we hoped it would.
“Athletes deserve privacy when they get injured in the middle of a game. Unfortunately, the sideline is one of the least private environments you could
possibly be in,” Allen continues. “How would you feel if you went to see your physician and they evaluated you on an exam table in the middle of the waiting room in front of other people. Instead of having maybe 20 people in a waiting room, there could be hundreds if not thousands of people at a sporting event. That’s why the SidelinER is so valuable for any college or high school athletic department.”
The SidelinER debuted during the 2015 Alabama v. Middle Tennessee State game and is now used by universities and high schools nationwide. All teams in the 2016 College Football Playoffs and both teams in the National Championship used SidelinER on their sidelines during the season. Developed by Kinematic Sports, LLC, which was founded by Jeff Allen, Jared Cassity, and Patrick Powell, SidelinER is making its way to all types of
sidelines at high school and colleges—including the sidelines for soccer, gymnastics, rugby, lacrosse, basketball, and other events like golf and triathlons.
“Any field sport, outdoor event or outdoor activity that involves athletes can benefit from using the SidelinER,” says Powell. “There’s always the potential for injury or heat stroke, and our tent provides a calm, private, and mobile exam room for those types of situations. Also, after the event is over, athletes could possibly use the tent to change out of their sweaty clothes. Those types of abilities aren’t readily available at a lot of outdoor events.”
When in use, the tent is seven feet tall, 12 feet long, and six feet wide, allowing room for a standard treatment table and four or five people. During all other times, it lies flat on the ground around the table. The tent’s sides can easily be put up or down with a handle in less than 10 seconds. It weighs about 60 pounds and folds up, making it easy to transport for road contests. All of this is made possibleby Kinematic Sports’ patent-pending frame design.
Along with being portable, collapsible, and easy to set up, the SidelinER can also serve as a marketing tool. “It can be a revenue generator because any logo or advertisement can be put on the side of it, so it can be almost like a sideline billboard,” Allen explains. “There are the clear medical and privacy benefits, but there’s also some value in it from a marketing and an advertising standpoint. And we are happy to partner with coaches to help them find sponsors for their unit.”
To learn more visit www.kinematicsports.com
Or Text T4124 to 607-882-1273.