For the fourth year in a row, Ravenscroft's student-led fundraising team for Crucial Catch has been recognized as the top fundraising school in the nation, exceeding their goal of $30,000 by more than $6,000, and once again winning the prestigious Pink Cleat Award.
Three Ravenscroft art students have been recognized for their submissions to the Fine Arts League of Cary Teen Show.
Six Middle School students took the global Pegasus Mythology Exam in March, with all winning awards for their performance.
by Stacy Calfo | Back to Table of Contents
Sports-related injuries, especially to the head, are hot-button topics in the media, galvanizing doctors, coaches and trainers — and worrying families with young athletes at home. The Ravenscroft Athletics Department has taken a proactive approach, hiring certified
trainers, developing protocols and procedures, and focusing on prevention and education to keep athletes as safe as possible.
“We try to get out in front of injuries,” said Athletic Director Ned Gonet, who is also head football coach. “You wish you could go through a season without injuries, but we are prepared to help athletes with rehabilitation and recovery when it happens. We are doing all we can to make sure we have the right procedures and people in place.”
“We are talking about protecting kids long-term, not just during the current sports season,” head athletic trainer Tim Savage added.
“We want to create healthy, productive young people.”
Student trainer Alexis Fenner ’19 tapes varsity basketball player Emily Hayman ’20’s ankle before practice.
The Athletics Department prioritizes educating student-athletes about the dangers of not reporting injuries such as concussions and ensuring they feel comfortable sharing concerns.
P.E. teachers and coaches emphasize the importance of warm-ups and conditioning in injury prevention, working with even the youngest Ravens to develop healthy habits.
Coaches of contact sports such as football have adopted new techniques to limit collisions during practice and games.
Matthew Mehr ’17
Matthew Mehr ’17 knows the importance of Ravenscroft’s athletic training program more than most.
He played soccer, threw shot put and discus on the track team, and was a manager and student trainer for the boys’ basketball team. Along the way, he suffered numerous injuries, including several knee injuries requiring surgery, a shoulder dislocation, a shoulder tear and a severe concussion. Mehr praised Ravenscroft’s athletic trainers’ consistent encouragement and help with rehab after each of these setbacks.
“Every time I got injured, the athletic trainers were so helpful in getting me back in the classroom and on the sports field,” he said. “They would help me adapt to my current state, whether in a sling or a brace, and show me ways to take notes in class.”
After spending so much time in the training room, Mehr decided to become a student trainer, helping other athletes work through their injuries. He learned to tape ankles, wrists and fingers and helped athletes complete exercises as part of their own rehab.
“I think the athletic trainers at Ravenscroft have built the program into something incredible,” he said. “They teach kids such valuable skills and have built a community where all are welcome in the training room.”
Head athletic trainer Tim Savage
Read more in this story from the archives of Ravenscroft Magazine:
The Impact of Coach P. and Ravenscroft’s Sports Medicine Program
Watch Ravenscroft’s robot tackle dummies in action in this October 2017 news story from NBC affiliate WTHR.
Ravenscroft football players are safer thanks to MVPs: Mobile Virtual Players. These state-of-the-art tackle dummies are used in football practice to help prevent player-to-player injuries. As Athletic Director Ned Gonet explained, the dummies simulate ball movement and game scenarios, which helps train athletes to tackle correctly. The key is to make sure players are not engaging head-first, reducing the risk of head injuries from helmet-to-helmet contact.
Ravenscroft acquired the MVPs in 2017, making it one of the first high schools to implement this level of safety into a football program. Ravenscroft board member and parent Kristin Replogle generously donated the tackle dummies after seeing them in use at Dartmouth College. Replogle shared that her family loves sports and understands the potential impact of sports-related injuries.
“As a speech-language pathologist, I’m acutely aware of traumatic brain injuries. In football, there is a better way to train and reduce this risk by using the MVP tackling dummies,” she said. “That’s why we felt the program should be brought to Ravenscroft.”
Following any head injury, it’s critical for student-athletes to be monitored and evaluated, not just for a return to the playing field but also the classroom. Ravenscroft adheres to the Return to Learn Program, an initiative started by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA).
According to the CDC, the experience of learning and engaging in academic activities that require concentration can actually cause a student’s concussion symptoms to reappear or worsen.
As a result, the following Return to Learn protocol is recommended by the BIAA:
Everyone involved with the student works together to support the student through this recovery. This includes parents and school staff. It is key for everyone to keep the lines of communication open while monitoring the recovery plan.
Learn more about Return to Learn on the BIAA website.
Varsity soccer player Brad Taber ’20
