Two Months After Tragedy, Another School System Tackles Changes to Student-Athlete Safety

While hundreds of high school football players here in the east have their eyes focused on winning one of Friday night’s playoff games, yet another school system here in the east is now looking at improving the way it protects its student-athletes.

Nine On Your Side’s Philip Jones tells us which one, and why leaders there are giving safety a second look.

It’s been more than two months since JH Rose football player JaQuan Waller died after sustaining two minor head injuries over the span of just a few days.

His death immediately sent shockwaves through the community in Pitt County and now the ripple effect of his death is reaching counties all over the state—and right here in the east.

Annette Brown is the assistant superintendent for instruction for Craven County Schools.

She says the school district is already in line with state requirements because it has a first responder present during football games and practices at two of the system’s three high schools—and it has an EMT at the third.

But in light of the Waller tragedy, the system is now stepping up efforts to go above and beyond what’s required.

“We had already been in discussion about our first responders versus certified trainers and our EMTs, but [Waller’s death] created urgency,” she said.

It plans to have first responders at all three high schools by next season. And as soon as the district can make it happen, it wants first responders at middle schools, too—a step above what’s required by the state.

Once that’s done, Brown says Craven County wants to take it even further and have the more specialized—and more expensive—Certified Athletic Trainers at every high school.

That will prove challenging, though, as systems statewide are tightening their belts.

“It will be contingent upon resources,” Brown said.

But she says safety is the top priority on and off the field and adds the district will do what it takes to find the funds.

Brown says the school system feels cheerleaders are also susceptible to serious injuries, so the district is also reviewing the safety equipment and personnel it has in place for them.