SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – South Tahoe High School’s Sports Medicine pathway has been one of the most popular Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs at STHS for the past 13 years. Students explore medical careers, gain hands-on experience as Student Athletic Trainers at school sporting events, and complete observations at medical facilities throughout the community.
The program’s four sequenced courses culminate in Sports Med 4, which includes an eight-week internship at Barton Memorial Hospital. There, students shadow medical professionals across multiple departments, including the Operating Room, Emergency Department, Orthopedics & Rehabilitation, and Urgent Care. These real-world experiences are building the next generation of healthcare workers and giving STHS students a meaningful head start on their future careers.
The STHS Sports Medicine CTE program took 17 students to Los Angeles to compete against more than 750 peers from across the region. For the students, the bright lights of a national competition were not intimidating…they were electrifying.
The Sports Medicine CTE program traveled to Los Angeles to compete in the annual AACI California Regional Sports Medicine Competition, representing their school, their community, and the mountains they call home. The team placed 9th out of more than 50 schools and 750 competing students. The experience of going head-to-head with high school programs from across the region has already begun building the kind of confidence and professional connections that will follow these students into their careers.
Under the direction of Sports Medicine Instructor Isaiah Tannaci, the program has spent more than a decade building a culture of clinical excellence and hands-on preparedness. Sports Med 2 and 3 students arrived in Los Angeles, having logged months as Student Trainers at STHS athletic events, and completed focused preparation and study sessions. They sharpened the skills required for this level of competition.
The written exam tested mastery of anatomy, physiology, and injury pathology. The practical skills portion evaluated students on taping and wrapping techniques, first-aid protocols, and knowledge of injury assessment. Across both areas, the Vikings showed up ready.
The competition’s most significant value may lie in what it mirrors. The scenarios students faced closely replicate the real-world competency exams that certified Athletic Trainers and Emergency Medical Responders rely on when a student-athlete goes down on the field.
“The energy of being in a big competition is something you can’t replicate in a classroom,” Tannaci noted. The experience of competing alongside programs from across the region, and holding their own, is exactly the kind of moment that turns curious students into future healthcare professionals.
South Tahoe may not have brought home a plaque this year…. but they brought home something far more valuable.–
Erika Mathews, South Tahoe High TE Specialist
