Bridgewater, N.J. (March 8 2023) – JAG-ONE Physical Therapy is one of the fastest growing comprehensive physical and occupational therapy practices providing rehabilitative care to patients and sports teams in over 110 locations across the Northeast. Manville Public Schools, a proud partner of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy, have been awarded the 1st Team National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Safe Sports School Award.

The Safe Sports School Award recognizes secondary schools all over the country that go above and beyond to keep their athletes safe and free from injuries. JAG-ONE Physical Therapy worked with Daniel Cabral, head athletic trainer at Manville High School, to help Manville schools meet the criteria needed to be selected for this award. NATA has a list of requirements all athletic programs must adhere to in order to receive the safe sports school status. Some of these requirements center around athletic injuries such as providing pre-participation physical examinations, developing injury and illness prevention strategies, and providing injury intervention. Other requirements focus more on the schools equipment and facilities, requiring they promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities, plan for proper selection and maintenance of athletic equipment, and provide an appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes.

“It is an honor to be awarded 1st Team NATA Safe Sports School! I am grateful for the recognition and the support from my Athletic Director Steve Venuto and Superintendent Jamil Maroun,” says Daniel Cabral, LAT, ATC, head athletic trainer at Manville High School.

NATA also requires that schools follow appropriate procedures including having a positive athletic health care administrative system and regularly rehearses a venue-specific emergency action plan. NATA also looks at education and requires that the school provides psycho-social consultations, nutrition counseling/education, and makes sure athletes and parents are educated about the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities.

“JAG-ONE strives for all of our exclusive secondary school Athletic Training partnerships to attain and maintain all standards set forth by the NATA Safe Sports School initiative,” says Ryan Stevens, MPS, ATC, CSCS, senior director of athletic training for JAG-ONE Physical Therapy. “We are excited for Manville to join the ranks of our other Safe Sports partnerships, Bound Brook School District and Somerset County Vo-Tech!”

“JAG-ONE is proud to be partnered with Manville public schools,” says John Gallucci Jr., CEO of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy. “We are dedicated to helping schools further develop their athletic training programs and become safe sports schools.”