Sideline medical tents offer high school athletes faster, more private care

At high school sports games throughout the region, you may notice something new on the sidelines: a medical tent.

Each year, more than 2.6 million children are treated nationwide for sports-related injuries. To help care for these injuries, Children’s Health℠ Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine strives to use pioneering techniques to evaluate young athletes on the field. 

Children’s Health sports medicine physicians and athletic trainers are now using pop-up medical tents, the same ones used by the NFL and college football teams, to offer improved care for young athletes. Our sports medicine experts are the only medical team in Texas using these tents to evaluate injured high school football players.

The new medical tents fit easily on the sidelines. They are attached to an athletic trainer’s table and can be put up and down quickly to create space to examine an injured player.

The tents offer many benefits to athletes, including:

Private treatment

When you’re in pain, the last thing you want is hundreds of people staring at you. The tents allow injured athletes to receive treatment in a private setting, where they don’t have to worry about their friends and family staring at them or swarming next to their side. More private treatment means athletes can give honest answers about how they are feeling without having to look tough. They won’t have to worry that their answers will be repeated in school hallways or that they are making their parents anxious.

Calm, safe and controlled environment for care

The private environment also helps athletic trainers, physicians and athletes stay calm throughout treatment. They are less likely to be interrupted by onlookers and more able to perform in-depth medical assessments. Athletes are more likely to feel like they are in a medical office, instead of in front of bleachers and onlookers, and can feel more comfortable and focused when answering questions or undergoing treatment.

Faster care and treatment

Getting an athlete calm fast also means faster care. A calm athlete can answer questions and follow instructions much faster than an athlete who is anxious or experiencing increased adrenaline. The tent also provides a space for care that’s often closer than locker rooms, saving valuable minutes in evaluating injuries.

Confidential care

The tents also protect the confidentiality of the athlete. Rumors can move fast along a sideline or through the bleachers. The tents help athletes receive care without letting everyone in on the diagnosis.

Children’s Health is proud to offer these new sideline tents to our partner teams and schools. Our physicians and athletic trainers strive to keep athletes as safe as possible, using the best tools – like sideline tents – available.

Learn more

Watch for our sideline medical tents at partner high schools where Children’s Health doctors act as team physicians, preventing and caring for sports injuries. Learn more about how the Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine keeps young athletes safe by calling 469-303-3000.

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