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© St. Petersburg Times, published August 27, 2002
Just in case anyone missed it, the impasse regarding volunteer athletic trainers between the Pasco County school district, the Florida Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine Center and other trainers is over.
The center and other providers can supply trainers to county schools, after the Pasco County school board on Friday gave unanimous, provisional approval of the bids submitted Wednesday.
The matter will be closed at the Sept. 10 school board meeting, when the members formally will approve the bids. Friday's polling was an administrative tool to speed the process.
"We have the same or better level of support at every one of the schools," said Bob Dorn, the district's administrative assistant for secondary, adult and alternative schools.
While some volunteer trainers continued to provide service during the impasse, the center decided not to, without a signed contract from the school.
The center allowed Brian Hooker, its sports medicine coordinator, to return to county practice fields at Gulf, Hudson, Land O'Lakes, Mitchell, Ridgewood and River Ridge on Wednesday when it was confident its bid would be accepted by the school board. The center also wanted written permission from superintendent John Long to return to county campuses, which he gave.
"They voted yes, so we're just in the process of drawing up the contract," Hooker said. "They'll draw it up, and then we'll review it and sign it. Everything has been agreed upon in the preparation of the contract."
That also goes for the bid submitted by J.R. Titsworth, Pasco's longtime trainer, to remain at that school. Improving service for Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, which have arranged for their own volunteer trainers, remains a priority, school officials said.
"They have some working arrangements," Dorn said. "But the process will be to offer those other schools the same services we have elsewhere."
Hooker said the contract his center submitted called for trainers to visits six county schools twice a week, and to provide coverage for all home football games. The only games that won't be covered will be junior varsity football games at Hudson and Land O'Lakes. "We haven't had enough people to do those," Hooker said.