UVA Students Collaborate with Tom Sox on Emergency Action Plan

On Saturday morning at the Charlottesville High School baseball field, two players suddenly collided. Within seconds, athletic trainers sprang into action, surrounding the downed player, contacting emergency services, and administering first aid.  

Despite the commotion, no one was injured. The “players” were actually University of Virginia graduate students, and the scenario was part of a run-through of a new emergency action plan (EAP) created by students in the School of Education and Human Development's Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program. The exercise was the culmination of a year-long effort to develop and test an EAP tailored to a local sports organization.

This marks the third year of the MSAT program’s collaboration with community organizations to create and refine EAPs. Previous partnerships included the Babe Ruth League and Crozet Park, and this year, the students worked with the Charlottesville Tom Sox, a collegiate summer baseball league.

On March 22, the students gathered with representatives from the Tom Sox as well as local emergency responders, led by UVA Health’s Ryan Thomas, to run a test drill of three scenarios: a lightning strike, a spinal injury, and a facial fracture.  

Students worked through each scenario in real time, putting their emergency skills to the test and working to make their community safer.  

Valuable Student Training

Erin Moore, assistant professor and clinical education coordinator for the program, emphasized the importance of EAPs for athletic trainers. Even student athletic trainers must be certified in CPR and learn to quickly assess emergency situations to ensure fast, appropriate responses.  

The project begins each summer with an introductory emergency medicine course, followed by clinical classes where students refine their skills. In the fall, students design and adapt the emergency plans, which are then presented to stakeholders and tested in live-action drills.

By the time students become certified athletic trainers, they already have hands-on experience creating and executing EAPs, giving them confidence in real-life emergency situations.

“Being able to acknowledge, understand, and identify emergency symptoms versus just an injury – those are skills they need to have and be able to implement,” Moore said.  

Before running the scenarios, students presented the plan to stakeholders. After each exercise, the group gathered to debrief, taking detailed notes to improve the plans before delivering the final version to the Tom Sox.  

“This is the culmination of a year-long process of all their skills coming to fruition – everything they’ve learned and practiced in the classroom and in exams is now being put into action in front of an audience,” Moore said. “The students have done a phenomenal job.”

Community Ripple Effects

Chesley Mullins, president of the Tom Sox, knows firsthand the value of a solid emergency plan. Last year, she managed an emergency when a player suffered multiple facial fractures during a game.

He received swift medical attention at UVA and is now doing great, she said. But the experience underscored the importance of having a well-prepared and accessible EAP.  

“You have hundreds of fans, and you have to stay calm,” she said. “Those protocols, having it accessible, is just really important.”

Mullins sees the broader value of this partnership. She said her goal for the Tom Sox – in addition to bringing in as many fans as possible – is to provide a learning opportunity for everyone involved with the team.

“Each summer, we bring in as many as 50 baseball players and 25 to 35 interns from all over the country,” she said. “This will be part of their training. All those kids can take that knowledge back with them.”

Mullins invited several other Virginia summer leagues to watch Saturday’s events so they can also bring the knowledge back to their teams. She noted that Charlottesville High School will be able to use the plan as well.  

Tyra Drouillard, one of the two heads of athletic training for the Tom Sox, graduated from the MSAT program in 2023. She said she has had to implement a few emergency action plans in her career and emphasized that every second counts in an emergency.  

“You’re trying to go as quickly as possible to figure out the situation, and if nobody knows what the plan is, it’s going to take a lot longer,” she said. “I think a lot of people just hope that it doesn’t happen – but if we plan for it, then it minimizes the injuries.”

Working Together to Improve Safety

The EAP project required close coordination between the MSAT students, local organizations, and emergency responders. Mullins said that UVA “made it as easy as possible.”

For Moore, the opportunity to work with local organizations is especially gratifying, as it becomes a win-win situation for the community. She said the two previous organizations they partnered with have activated their EAPs multiple times since working with UVA to create them.  

“It’s a really cool partnership – our students developing their skills, helping members of the community, and also giving EMS an opportunity to run training for themselves as well,” she said. “It’s a great collaborative effort.”

First-year master’s student S’Zahria Jones said it was exciting to see everything she and her classmates have been working on all year finally coming together.  

“With athletic training, emergency care is one of the main things that we have to know,” she said. “These are situations that we obviously hope won’t arise – but in the event that they do, we need to be prepared to act.  

This project has helped me see the importance of emergency care and how early action can save a life.”