ASHT member Mary Mundrane-Zweiacher was recently featured in U.S. News and World Report, discussing safety tips for marching band members.
Marching Band Members Can Use a Physical Tuneup
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Sept. 4, 2017, at 12:00 p.m.
School marching band members are athletic performers who must be physically fit to manage their routines and fancy footwork, experts say.
"These athletes participate in rigorous practices to perfect routines for game day while wearing heavy uniforms in hot, humid conditions," said Mary Mundrane-Zweiacher, an athletic trainer and certified hand therapist. They have unique needs in terms of preparation and protocols that help minimize risk of overuse injuries and heat-related illness, she said in a news release from the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
Trainers often work with student athletes, but band members should have access to this type of support when preparing for a new season, according to the trainers' association.
"Athletic trainers can play a vital role working with secondary school and collegiate marching bands, color guards and others involved in on-field activities," said Scott Sailor, association president. "They help reduce and treat injury with these performing athletes just like those who participate on school teams. Yet only 37 percent of public high schools have a full-time athletic trainer."
Parents, band directors and trainers can take steps to help band members stay healthy on the field. The association offers the following tips: