Athletic Training

ATHLETIC TRAINING STAFF:

To schedule an appointment for athletic training services, please click on one of the following -  

General Athletic Training

MISSION:  The Framingham State Athletic Training staff provides prevention, evaluation, management, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries sustained by our varsity and intercollegiate athletes. Our staff includes licensed and board certified athletic trainers and a team orthopedic physician from Orthopedics New England. We are committed to providing the best possible care for all of our varsity and intercollegiate student-athletes.

LOCATION AND HOURS:  The Athletic Training room is located on the bottom floor of the Athletic Center, just down the hallway and across from the main gym entrance. Hours vary seasonally and weekly schedules are posted on the door. The Athletic Training room is generally open Monday through Friday in the afternoons for treatment and rehabilitation (by appointment only) and open weekends for athletic event coverage only. The Athletic Training room will be open two hours prior to and thirty minutes following the conclusion of a scheduled home athletic event.

VARSITY & INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETE PRE-PARTICIPATION PAPERWORK:  All student-athletes must complete health history and insurance forms annually for the Athletic Training Department.  All forms must be properly completed for participation in varsity and intercollegiate athletics at Framingham State University. The Athletic Training Forms for the 2023-2024 academic year will be available on the Athletic Training website over the summer.  Any questions regarding the pre-participation paperwork should be directed to the Head Athletic Trainer via e-mail or phone. 

2023-24 Athletic Training Pre-Participation Paperwork - New Student-Athlete - Paperwork/Instructions

2023-24 Athletic Training Pre-Participation Paperwork - Returning Student-Athlete - Paperwork/Instructions

Attention student-athletes: if any of your personal or insurance information changes at any point during the year, it is your responsibility to notify the Athletic Training Department. Also, if you see a physician for any reason during the school year, you must provide a clearance note signed by your physician.  This letter must be on file in the Athletic Training room before you will be allowed to participate in any team activity, practice, or game. The physician's clearance letter must specifically stating the following:

• When and for what reason you saw the physician
• Injury or illness diagnosis
• Current playing status (i.e. cleared or not cleared to return to your sport)

ADD/ADHD USE OF BANNED STIMULANTS:  The NCAA has instituted a stricter application of the medical exception policy for the use of banned stimulant medication for the treatment of ADD/ADHD.  This stricter application reflects a strong stand on policy enforcement, protecting the student-athlete competing while using these stimulants and the integrity of the sport.  If you have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and are using stimulant medication, you must provide proper documentation from your diagnosing health care provider in order to participate in NCAA athletics each academic year. The forms can be found on myFramingham and the Athletic Training website along with all other athletic training documents and should be printed and given to your diagnosing health care provider to fill out and return to the Athletic Training Department.  These forms must be filled out annually by the student-athlete and diagnosing physician.

Click here to access the necessary ADD/ADHD documentation forms and FAQs.

CONCUSSIONS:  Each year in the United States the incidence of self-reported sports-related concussion is estimated at 2.5 million students. Athletes that are not fully recovered from an initial concussion are significantly susceptible for recurrent, cumulative, and even catastrophic consequences of a second concussion. Such difficulties are prevented if the athlete is allowed time to recover from concussion and return to play decisions are carefully made. No athlete should return to sport or other at-risk participation when symptoms of concussion are present and recovery is ongoing. The best way to prevent difficulties with concussion is through timely reporting and proper management of the injury when it does occur. Proper concussion management includes obtaining a concussion history and baseline symptom inventory, as well as baseline balance and neurocognitive assessments. Such evaluations can help to objectively evaluate the athlete's post-injury condition and track recovery for safe return to play, with the goal of reducing the cumulative effects of concussion. In fact, neurocognitive testing has recently been called the "cornerstone" of proper concussion management by an international panel of sports medicine experts. 

Framingham State University Concussion Protocol

Prior to athletic participation: 

All student-athletes will complete a concussion history, baseline concussion symptom inventory, and sign an Injury, Illness, and Concussion Mandatory Reporting Statement prior to athletic participation as part of the annual clearance paperwork. Student-athletes participating in NCAA sports will be provided with educational material regarding concussions annually and will sign a statement attesting to this prior to their participation. Student-athletes participating in additional NCAA sports during the academic year will sign an additional statement attesting they were provided with concussion education prior to the start of each athletic season. All forms will be stored in the student-athlete’s file in the Athletic Training office. The Injury, Illness, and Concussion Mandatory Reporting form will include the online location of concussion educational material, expectations regarding timely reporting of all injuries, illnesses, and concussions, and requirements for physician’s clearance notes for injuries and illnesses. 

Student-athletes with a history of three or more concussions or a history of moderate or severe concussion, will be reported at the discretion of the athletic training staff to the Team Physician and may require further evaluation and final clearance. 

Baseline balance and neurocognitive testing for all new and transfer Framingham State University student-athletes must be completed prior to participation in a scrimmage or competition. Baseline balance testing will consist of completing both the modified and traditional Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) test, while baseline neurocognitive testing will consist of completing the Standard Assessment of Concussion (SAC) test and passing the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) exam. Special accommodations will be taken into account for student-athletes with learning disabilities. 

Student-athletes who do not complete all baseline testing by a date to be determined by the athletic training staff will be denied athletic participation until all testing is complete. These tests are used to measure the baseline vestibular and cognitive function, including memory and reaction time, of our Framingham State University student-athletes; they are NOT a measure of intelligence. All test results will be stored in a secure database that can be accessed by the Framingham State University Athletic Training staff in the event of a head injury or concussion. 

All Framingham State University student-athletes will be required to complete a concussion history and baseline concussion symptom inventory on an annual basis. New and transfer student-athletes will be required to complete the initial baseline BESS, SAC, and ImPACT tests, which will serve as their baseline assessments for the duration of their collegiate career at Framingham State University. If a student-athlete suffers a moderate to severe concussion, the athletic training staff will require new baseline testing to be completed prior to the start of the student-athlete’s next competitive season. All baseline and follow-up tests will be stored in the student-athlete’s file in the Athletic Training office.   

NCAA concussion informational video

NCAA concussion safety for student-athletes video 

NCAA Student-athlete concussion fact sheet (PDF)

NCAA Coaches concussion fact sheet (PDF)

Framingham State University Post-Concussion at Home Instructions (PDF)

SICKLE CELL TRAIT: All new and transfer student-athletes must provide confirmation of their sickle cell trait status. This is an NCAA requirement and must be on file with the athletic training staff prior to athletic participation. All student-athletes will be required to provide confirmation of their sickle cell trait status. 

Click here for SCT information

NCAA SCT video 

CDC SCT Awareness    

NCAA Student-athlete SCT fact sheet (PDF)

NCAA Coaches SCT fact sheet (PDF)

HOME ATHLETIC EVENTS: All home games will be covered by a certified and licensed athletic trainer unless otherwise notified.  At each contest the following equipment will be available: ice and water (for both teams), cups or water bottles (for both teams), crutches, splints, and an automated external defibrillator.  The team physician will be available at all home football and ice hockey games.  An ambulance will also be on site for all football games.  In the event that a student-athlete has to be transported to the hospital, Framingham Union Hospital is the closest hospital. Immediate care supplies and equipment may be loaned to visiting injured student-athletes when necessary.

Visiting teams: please call or email in advance if you will be traveling without a certified athletic trainer, especially if your team requires any special attention. We will be able to accomodate visiting teams in providing pre-game taping. Visiting teams must supply their own tape and wraps. Please send a stocked medical kit and any detailed instruction for specific taping. Modalities available include ice, moist heat, electric stimulation and ultrasound. Host athletic trainers will not perform ultrasound or electric stimulation, but visiting certified athletic trainers are welcome to use these modalities.  Modalities are available only in the Athletic Training room with prior arrangements.  No modalities are available at the athletic fields.

Visiting Team Information Letter

FSU Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

AWAY ATHLETIC EVENTS: A certified and licensed athletic trainer will travel with high risk sports, as well as to any postseason play, pending other event coverage.  All other travel by the Athletic Training Department is dependent on the needs of home events.  When varsity teams are traveling without an athletic trainer, a call or e-mail will be made ahead of time to the opponent's Athletic Training Staff to inform them of any medical care the athletes may require.  Each athletic team will be given a fully stocked medical kit at the beginning of the season to bring to away games. 

The closest hospital to Framingham State University is:

MetroWest Medical Center - Framingham Union
115 Lincoln Street, Framingham MA 01701
(508) 383-1000

Directions to Local Hospitals (PDF)