Athletic Trainer Prevents Serious Harm to Nettleton Student-Athlete
September 3 proved to be no ordinary day for Nettleton student-athlete Akyria James. But, thanks to the preparations, quick actions, and leadership taken by St. Bernards-Certified Athletic Trainer Nick Haywood, along with his student assistant DJ Robins, and the coaches, Akyria has returned to practice with no issues.
On that Friday, outdoor temperatures dropped. As a result, Nettleton Women's Basketball Coach Jason Smith elected to condition outdoors at the football stadium with bleachers and fieldwork at the end of practice which is typical for the team during pre-season. During the routine drills, however, Akyria collapsed. The coaching staff quickly alerted Athletic Trainer Nick Haywood, who was nearby monitoring football practice.
Haywood quickly assessed Akyria, who grew unresponsive, determining she possibly suffered from heat exhaustion. He and Coach Smith carried her to a nearby ice tub to cool her body and immediately had a coach call 911. Haywood calmly monitored Miss James' core temperature and vitals. Upon arriving, emergency responders assessed the situation and bragged about all Nick was doing. Akyria was then hospitalized, ultimately making a full recovery.
Coach Smith called Haywood a "Rock Star" to recognize Akyria's health crisis and work quickly to stabilize her. "I was proud of all involved," Coach Smith said. "Nobody panicked. Everything was by the book and without hesitation, and she is healthy right now because of it. We are so fortunate at Nettleton to partner with St. Bernard's and have a trainer like Nick. Even though we as coaches are trained, we aren't healthcare professionals. All schools need a trainer for situations like these, we are blessed without question, and Akyria James may be alive because of Nick Haywood.
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at 08 October 2021