Howard County high school basketball teams will not have full-time athletic trainers this season. The approved county budget did not include new trainers on the staff list. A previous draft from March created 13 full-time positions, adding one to each of the county’s high schools. Malcolm Tatum, the head coach for the Guilford Park High School boys’ basketball team, criticized county lawmakers for leaving his staff and players shorthanded again this year. “There is a big concern with the lack of trainers in Howard County. I don’t blame the trainers because they aren’t compensated the way they should be. But the increase in injuries and the prolonging of the injuries are because of the lack of trainers,” Tatum said. The second year coach played college basketball for Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia from 2013 to 2016. He credited his success to the training staff at his high school. “When I played in high school, we had a full-time trainer in the building most of the day. I believe that should be brought back to Howard County,” Tatum said. The Howard County Board of Education elected to keep the school system’s current model, contracting seven part-time trainers from Pivot Physical Therapy to split duties at the 13 schools. A Pivot representative declined to specify how often each trainer appeared. The 2026 operating budget approved $1.8 million in salaries for student health services in high school sports. That money did not include any personnel additions for trainers. The Howard County Board of Education office said the members had no comment. Boys’ basketball coach Seth Willingham had more time to adjust to a lack of athletic staffing at Marriotts Ridge High School. He described the abundance of player injuries as a distraction for the faculty. “We have not had a trainer at our school for three years. So coaches are left treating athletes, taping athletes, etc. It is very difficult to manage and takes away from coaching at times. Not only am I helping my players, but often other athletes from teams at our school because some of the coaches are not in the building,” Willingham said. Willingham heard about a junior varsity basketball player at Marriotts Ridge collapsing last season. The player hit their head and fell on the court. No athletic trainer attended the game, so coaches had to call for an ambulance, fearing a severe injury. Hammond High School boys’ basketball coach Kyle Duffie worried that student-athletes would not find as much success in collegiate athletics without greater access to trainers. Glenelg High School girls’ basketball coach Maureen Roberson saw her players struggle to get ready to compete. “We need athletic trainers in every high school. I am concerned about the lack of athletic trainers. Players like to see athletic trainers before games, but there’s no one for them to see,” Roberson said. One Howard County basketball coach did not express any issues with athletic trainer coverage. Oakland Mills High School girls’ basketball coach Michael Coughlan had no problems at home games or during practices. “We are fortunate that we have a great four day a week trainer,” Coughlan said. Ryan Hudy, the new boys’ basketball coach at Reservoir High School, viewed the lack of trainers as his toughest challenge so far. He disagreed with the county’s approach to student-athlete safety. “I came from Montgomery County, where one trainer was assigned to every school full-time. Now I’m at a situation where we have been practicing or trying out for 13 days and I have seen our part-time trainer two times,” Hudy said. The Reservoir roster already acquired various preseason injuries, including a possible concussion, multiple rolled ankles and a sprained thumb. Hudy wanted to see more urgency from county leaders. “It’s a reactive approach, just waiting for something bad to happen and then the decision will be made to have each of the 13 high schools have a trainer. Instead of doing it now and being proactive,” Hudy said.
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