Athletic Training
Meet Your Athletic Trainer
What is an Athletic Trainer?
Athletic trainers are certified healthcare professionals that specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment interventions of emergency, acute, and chronic injuries and illnesses.
Athletic trainers are distinctly separate from the profession of personal training and must obtain, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree and pass a national, certifying exam to practice as an athletic trainer. Once certified, athletic trainers must meet ongoing continuing education requirements to maintain certification. To learn more about athletic trainers visit atyourownrisk.org.
Meet Your Athletic Trainer
Destinee has served as the head athletic trainer of ESTL Sr. High for two years. Before taking the helm in East St. Louis, she served as a graduate student teaching assistant in the Kinesiology Department at Temple University, where she received her master's degree. While at Temple, she also worked as the athletic trainer for their cheerleading teams.
Originally from North Carolina, Destinee received her undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science (Athletic Training concentration) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Destinee enjoys volunteering with the profession, including serving with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Association for Athletic Training Education. Destinee’s research interests include cultural competence and humility in athletic training and increasing inclusivity within the profession.
Contact Information:
Phone: 618-646-3000 x1036
Email: destinee.grove@estl189.com
Where can you find Destinee?
The athletic training facility is located in the West Wing of the main gym on the ground floor between the Flyerette's basketball and track locker rooms.
Athletics Paperwork
This year, East St. Louis Senior High School is requiring that all student-athletes and their parents/guardians sign and submit the following forms:
- Student-Athlete Authorization and Consent Form
- Student-Athlete Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk Form
- Consent to Treatment Form
- Illinois High School Association Acknowledgement and Consent Form
- Pre-Participation Exam (IHSA Health Physical Form)*
Completed paperwork should be submitted to the athletic trainer, Destinee Grove, as early as possible. If you have questions, please feel free to reach Destinee by phone at 618-646-3000 x1036 or by email at destinee.grove@estl189.com
*Please note that bylaw 2.150 of the Illinois High School Association Handbook prohibits participation in interscholastic sport (including practice) without a physical. Physicals may only be completed by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner.
The 2024 - 2025 Athletics Paperwork Packet and the IHSA Pre-Participation Physical Form are below.
Emergency Action Plans
Click to view East St. Louis Senior High's Emergency Action Plan. The EAP contains procedures and role delineation for various sporting venues (eg., small gym, main gym, etc). and conditions (eg., sudden cardiac arrest, spine injuries).
Activating Emergency Medical Services
- Call 9-9-1-1 if on a school line or 9-1-1 from a cell phone.
- Identify yourself, tell the dispatcher you need an ambulance, and:
- Provide your name, address, and telephone number
- Number of individuals injured
- Condition of the injured
- Include a timeline of events (e.g., it’s been X minutes since the traumatic event began/took place)
- What treatment is being provided (e.g., CPR, spine stabilization, splinting) and by whom
- Location of the incident and specific directions
- Other information requested
*DO NOT DISCONNECT THE CALL UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE OPERATOR.
*Notify the supervising athletic trainer that EMS has been activated.
*Designate someone to meet EMS and direct them to the site of the injured person. (See Role Delineation Chart)
Role Delineation Chart
Click to view the EAP role delineation chart.
Maintenance and Prevention Exercise Programs
How do I use these programs?
Click on the appropriate maintenance/prevention program to access the full exercise details.
Policies and Procedures
Lightning
All outdoor activity will be suspended when lightning-producing storms are within eight (8) miles of the venue. This will provide ample time to seek shelter before the storm is six (6) miles away. The flash-to-bang method will be used to determine the distance in accordance with the mobile phone application “Lightning”. At the first recognition of a lightning strike within an eight (8) mile radius of the venue, all student-athletes, coaching and Athletic Department personnel and spectators should seek a safe structure or location. By the time the flash-to-bang count approaches 30, all persons should already be inside or in the process of seeking shelter. At this time, a 30-minute timer will be set and will restart with each subsequent lightning strike. Once a 30-minute period without lightning has taken place, participants will be allowed to return outdoors and resume activity.
Concussion Management
Evaluation
All student-athletes suspected of having a concussion will be evaluated by the supervising athletic trainer or team physician, if present, at the time of suspected concussion. The supervising athletic trainer will complete the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5, Appendix C) but may also perform other testing (e.g., VOMS, King-Devick). If the AT suspects the student-athlete to be concussed, the student-athlete will be removed from play and under no circumstances be allowed to return to participation that same day (IHSA Concussion Policy). If the student-athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, the AT will contact the student athlete’s parent(s)/guardian(s) and inform them of the diagnosis and provide them with concussion education and homecare materials (Appendix C). Following this, the AT will work with the student-athlete and their parent(s)/guardian(s) to have the student-athlete see a physician if needed.
Post-Injury
The student-athlete is to report to the AT daily to document symptoms and report other information relevant to the student athlete’s care. At the cessation of symptoms, the student-athlete will be eligible to begin return-to-play procedures.
Return to Sport
Return to activity and play after a concussion is a medical decision and should be decided solely at the discretion of the head athletic trainer and student athlete’s treating physician.
The student-athlete must meet the following criteria in order to progress to physical activity:
- Asymptomatic at rest for a minimum of 24 hours.
- Asymptomatic with mental exertion (i.e., through school) for a minimum of 24 hours.
Once the above criteria are met, the student-athlete will be progressed back to full activity following the stepwise progression detailed below.
Note that progression is individualized and will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Factors that may affect the rate of progression include previous history of concussion, duration and types of symptoms, age of the student-athlete, pre-existing medical conditions, and the sport/activity in which the student-athlete participates. Student-athletes with a prior history of concussion, whose symptoms lasted an extended amount of time (greater than 30 days), who is participating in a contact sport, and/or who has been diagnosed with a learning, neurological, or mental health disorder are at risk for progressing more slowly.
Stepwise Progression
- Symptom-limited activity
- Light aerobic exercise
- Sport-specific exercise
- Non-contact training drills
- Full contact practice
- Return to sport
If the student-athlete begins experiencing symptoms at any step, they will immediately cease activity for no less than 24 hours. Once asymptomatic for 24 hours, they will re-enter the stepwise progression at the level below where symptoms were provoked.
Physician Clearance
If a student-athlete sees an external provider (e.g., physician, physician assistant, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc.), they must submit copies of all documentation to the athletic trainer upon return to school. Student-athletes will not be permitted to participate in practice or competition until they submit documentation stating that a qualified medical provider has released them to do so. Guidelines delineated in the provider’s documentation will be adhered to during East St. Louis Senior High School athletics participation. If restrictions were imposed in original provider notes, the student-athlete will need to follow up with their provider to receive full clearance prior to full, unrestricted participation.
Darren Sunkett, Athletic Director
Phone: 618-646-3700, ext. 1061
Brian Schoby, Assistant Athletic Director
Phone: 618-646-3700, ext. 1021
Destinee Grove, Athletic Trainer
Phone: 618-646-3700, ext. 1036