Think back to a time when high school coaches were more than just coaches to their athletes, playing the role of father-figure, team counselor, and even medical professional. Fast forward to today, and while coaches still wear many hats, the days of telling kids to “rub some dirt” on an injury have long gone. Thanks to advancements in sports medicine care for premiere athletes, coaches have turned to TOC Sports for treatment of their athletes’ sports-specific injuries.
But, this system wasn’t put together overnight. In fact, you’d have to turn the calendar back to just before the turn of the century, when sports were big, but not sports medicine…yet. In 1999 a group of sports-trained orthopaedic professionals from TOC answered the call for specialized sports care and assembled to form TOC Sports. Teaming up with Certified Athletic Trainers from Huntsville Hospital, TOC Sports began to identify organizations, on all levels, who could benefit from the care of sports medicine specialists.
TOC Sports Medicine: Supporting Area Athletes
What began as sports medicine support for a small number of schools in our area has grown to include nearly two dozen high schools and middle schools across North Alabama including: Huntsville, Madison, and Athens City school systems, as well as Oakwood and Alabama A&M Universities. Professional teams like the Huntsville Havoc hockey team count on the TOC Sports physicians for their on-the-spot care.
This growth has allowed TOC Sports to become the most comprehensive sports medicine team in Alabama, with some very unique services including pre-season physical exams and injury prevention programs. TOC Sports and Huntsville Hospital also offer a Friday Night Post-Game Injury Clinic during the fall sports season as a way to continue to help athletes after the game is over. Athletes can benefit from our innovative therapies and procedures including: ultrasound-guided injections, bioinductive implants and regenerative medicine, like Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) treatments which have shown to decrease recovery time in patients recovering from surgery.
Beyond their commitment to the health and well-being of student-athletes, the TOC Sports physicians understand that the word “student” comes before “athlete”. We recognize the dedication it takes to be a successful student-athlete, and proudly support the Athlete of the Year Scholarship Program. This program recognizes outstanding high school seniors who go above and beyond, excelling inside and outside the classroom.
Whether you’re a professional athlete, a weekend warrior or just getting started with an active lifestyle, the Sports Medicine specialists from TOC Sports can develop a game-plan to care for all your orthopaedic needs …and Keep YOU in the Game!
TOC Sports Medicine Physicians:
- Patrick Boyett, DO
- Michael W. Cantrell, MD
- Brian R. Carter, MD
- Stanton B. Davis, MD
- John J. Greco, MD
- James T. Hughey, III, DO
- William D. Lawrence, DO
- Larry M. Parker, MD
- Eric Stanford, DO
TOC Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialists:
(A version of this article was originally published in TOC’s Winter 2018-19 newsletter.)