A Lifesaving Gift for PCA’s Athletic Program
A few weeks ago, Prattville Christian Academy’s athletic program was honored to receive an incredible gift: an immersion tub that will play a significant role in protecting student-athletes from potentially fatal exertional heat illnesses. The donor was the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation, whose mission is inspired by a high school football player, Zach Martin, who died from an exertional heatstroke. Thanks to their generosity, PCA’s student-athletes will be treated to prevent this tragedy from ever happening on campus.
From the start, the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation has been dedicated to providing education, awareness, and prevention equipment for exertional heat illness to all people involved in athletics, including the athletes themselves as well as their coaches and parents. The work that the Foundation’s volunteers perform is actively combatting the dangers of heat-related illnesses, which the Centers for Disease Control states are the “leading cause of death and disability among U.S. high school athletes.” When recognized and treated promptly on-site, however, an exertional heat stroke is completely survivable, and PCA’s new immersion tub provided by the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation will protect Panther athletes and help effectively treat any heat-related illness.
According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, a prepared cold water or ice tub is an essential tool in immediately treating suspected heat illness as it instantly immerses and cools the student-athletes’ bodies. In fact, quickly immersing the torso in ice water on-site and prior to EMS transport has a 100% survival rate.
However, the tub not only means that “we are giving [our athletes] the best treatment option possible when it comes to heat-related illnesses,” but we are also giving them a way “to take ice baths,” which PCA athletic trainer Cody Adair says will “help them recover after hard practices and workouts.” Adair said that he came across the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation’s work while researching heat-related illnesses and “knew this was something that [he] wanted PCA to be a part of [as]… PCA’s Sports Medicine Program is always looking to improve and provide the best care possible.”
Truly, this immersion tub is a valuable asset to PCA’s athletic program, and thankfully, the program is continuing to grow! With a new athletic training room, any exercise or medical equipment that people are interested in donating can find a new home with student-athletes. To donate, please contact Cody Adair, PCA’s athletic trainer.
By: Maddie Jeffery ’22
Journalism Student
