Community presentation urges more certified athletic trainers in Lake Placid schools after video case highlights AED delays

Dean Rachelopoulos, a certified athletic trainer and outreach coordinator, told a standing-room audience at Lake Placid Central School District on March 1 that secondary schools need more licensed athletic trainers and rehearsed emergency action plans to reduce the risk of catastrophic outcomes in student-athlete medical emergencies.

Rachelopoulos opened the presentation by showing an 18-minute ESPN segment about the collapse of a youth soccer player; presenters used that case to illustrate how delays in locating and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) and in coordinating emergency response can determine survival. “Practice the emergency action plan and have licensed medical providers on-site,” Rachelopoulos told attendees, arguing that coaches should not be expected to manage complex medical events alone.

The presenters outlined what certified athletic trainers do: immediate on-field assessment and acute care, ongoing therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation, injury tracking and communication with coaches, nurses and physicians. Brandon Matthews, a certified athletic trainer who covers several area schools, described how outreach programs typically combine periodic in-school rehab visits with game-day coverage.

The talk included national and state coverage data from the Corey Stringer Institute Atlas: presenters said roughly two-thirds of U.S. high schools report some access to athletic trainers, but coverage has fallen in recent years in the region cited by the presenters. Rachelopoulos noted district and state declines presented in the demo — for the region identified in the presentation, access fell from 82% in 2018–19 to 58% in 2021; New York State figures cited dropped from about 66% to 43% over the same interval.

Rachelopoulos described hiring models that schools use: direct employment by the district, hospital outreach agreements (the model the presenters use), physician-office outreach, or a BOCES co-service arrangement that can reclaim state aid. He said typical outreach contracts can range from roughly $40,000–$50,000 and cited a national average salary for secondary-school athletic trainers of about $65,000 a year; an Innovate Grant from the Corey Stringer Institute was presented as one funding option (the presentation stated $180,000 over three years, requiring letters of commitment and multi-school participation).

On clinical details, Rachelopoulos gave treatment and workload examples from outreach programs: a large share of time goes to in-school treatments and rehab, plus evaluation and injury-tracking duties that keep students in school rather than sending them to outside physical therapy. The presenters urged schools to rehearse role assignments (who retrieves an AED, who directs EMS, who communicates with parents) and to ensure venue-specific access to emergency equipment.

Audience members praised the presentation and asked practical questions about local AED locations, rehearsal drills and why trainer coverage has declined; Rachelopoulos and Matthews cited the professional-entry change from bachelor’s to master’s degree (in 2021) and the closure of some training programs as likely contributors to a reduced incoming workforce. Rachelopoulos closed by announcing a local summer athletic-development program starting June 17 and offering to share the recorded presentation and resources by email.

The meeting did not include any formal motions or votes. Presenters encouraged school leaders and parents to consider outreach contracts or grant partnerships as near-term ways to expand coverage and to rehearse venue-specific emergency action plans as an immediate safety step.