Athletic trainers at the Seattle Public Schools often have their hands full trying to take care of student athletes while working only 20 hours a week.

The Seattle School District contracts with the Virginia Mason Sports Medicine Clinic to provide athletic trainers through the Virginia Mason Sports Medicine Seattle Public High School Outreach Program.

But Due to budget constraints, trainers must split their time, at 20 hours each week, between two different schools.

Dr. Rosemary Agostini, MD of Adult and Family Medicine and Sports Medicine at Virginia Mason says there is not enough funding for full-time athletic trainers at the schools and this is not a good thing.

High school sports are comprehensive. In the fall there's football, cross-country, girls soccer, boy's golf and boy's tennis. For the winter, students play boys and girls basketball, wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics. The sports continue in the spring with baseball, softball, boy's soccer, track and field and girl's golf. Some sports also have junior varsity teams.

With such a heavy load, trainers don't have the hours to take care of student athletics without being at the school all day.

Both Virginia Mason and the Seattle School District are sending out letters to the community and working with the athletic directors at each school on raising money for full time trainers.

James Oglesby is the outgoing athletic trainer at Ballard High. He is currently in the process of moving to North Carolina where he will teach athletic trainer classes at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Oglesby will also work full-time in a high school athletic program.

The ten Seattle public high schools have six trainers. Four are full-time and two are part-time, working for $17-$23 an hour. Oglesby has divided his time between Ballard and Ingrahm.

"If each individual school can do something, the parents and the boosters can come up with money," said Oglesby.

"We can't always get to all the sports when they (athletic trainers) do two schools. It's frustrating, they don't make much money and there's no money to pay them," said Ballard Athletic Director Doug Bruketta.

With such limited hours trainers can't be at every game or sporting event so they prioritize going to high-risk sports.

"We send athletic trainers to the heavy contact sports," said Bruketta.

Football is the top high-risk sport. Gymnastics, soccer, wrestling and track and field also cause many injuries.

The most risky injuries are concussions.

"We evaluate concussions and talk to the parents about what signs to look for and if their kid needs to be taken to the doctor. I tell kids not to go back into a game with ankle and knee sprains," he said.

Parent Dave Hirning's daughter, Kayla Williams is a point guard on the girls basketball team.

"This is a big issue as it's a physical game and she has gotten hurt on multiple occasions," said Hirning.

Agostini says players are always banged up and need to get proper care and treatment early. Guidance from an athletic trainer is essential.

Last year, Oglesby worked at every varsity football game. With games on Friday nights at Memorial Stadium in Seattle and other eastside locations, trainer's schedules are switched around for efficiency.

Athletic trainers change their assignments according to their schedules and where games are held, often there are times when Oglesby has to provide service to both teams. Because they often have other obligations, trainers don't always get there before games start. Coaches must tape players ankles when trainers can't be there.

In the past, year round conditioning and off-season games were normal at the college level.

Now Oglesby says the same thing is happening at the high school level. The key to success is year round participation in sports.

The Ballard Beavers football team practiced this month for two weeks this month. Later this summer they will attend football camps and start pre-season training in August.

The basketball teams have been running, doing conditioning and playing at tournaments said Oglesby.

Soccer players participate in Select league games every weekend.

Oglesby is seeing more over use at this young age. "They are flexible, but I see chronic things at this age group," said Oglesby.

Another negative to only spending 20 hours a week at a high school is not being able to give enough attention to the junior varsity teams.

"The big issue is always letting someone down. You can't do all that you could be able to if you were at the school full-time," said Oglesby.

"You don't get to know people like you want to because you are going back and forth," said Oglesby.

Coaches must fill in when athletic trainers are not available. Coaches are required to learn First Aid and CPR by the WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association).

To make a donation to the Virginia Mason Sports Medicine Seattle Public High School Outreach Program visit www.VirginaMason.org or send a check to: Virginia Mason Foundation, P.O. Box 1930, D1-MF, Seattle, WA 98111.