Children’s Health agreement supports Frisco ISD student athletes

Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine is now the primary sports affiliate of Frisco ISD, according to a district news release.

The institute is providing nine athletic trainers at no cost to the district, the release said. Trainers will focus on caring for students involved in middle and high school athletics. They will also support the 21 athletic trainers employed by FISD. Athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, emergency care, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and sports-related illness.

Children's Health is the leading pediatric health system in North Texas and one of the largest pediatric health care providers in the country, according to the release.

“We are excited to align with Children’s Heath, which like Frisco ISD is dedicated to helping children,” Athletic Director Grace McDowell said in the release. “Our goal is to provide our students every opportunity to excel both academically and in extracurricular activities, and adding the services and expertise of a highly respected health care provider will help us do that.”

As part of the partnership, Children's Health will provide medical leadership and serve as a consultant to the district on matters related to sports performance, emergency action planning, injury reporting and prevention strategies.

The agreement also gives FISD access to services from the Andrews Institute, a state-of-the-art facility in north Plano. Services include expertise from a sports concussion team as well as guidance in nutrition and meal planning, the release said.

FISD has more than 10,000 students involved in middle and high school athletics, according to the district.