Sports clinic offers free treatment for student athletes

WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCIV) — There are few places of greater passion in the Lowcountry than a high school football field, and one thing guaranteed every week is there are going to be players that get hurt, some of them pretty seriously.

Injuries can lead to some expensive MRIs or X-rays. That's why some doctors at Bon Secours St. Francis in West Ashley are working together to offer a free sports clinic every Saturday morning.

Athletes from every sport are welcome, not just football players.

The doctors have been offering the service for seven years now and they see anything from minor ankle sprains to torn ACLs.

They work with about a dozen athletic trainers on the sidelines and benches of Lowcountry high schools.

Nathan Mansell is one of those trainers. He says the free clinic is a huge help.

"Anytime you play a sport, there's a risk for your future ability," he said. "It's important that we have something available for people to get evaluated when they need to be evaluated, which is as soon a possible."

Doctors say a big the clinic allows players to immediately see a sports injury specialist.

Without the clinic, players would have to go to the emergency room first and then likely be referred to the very same specialist anyway -- so it cuts out the middleman. Now, the families still cover the costs of the MIRs and X-rays that are done, but the clinics offer them a chance to see a specialist sooner.

The free clinic opens on Saturdays at 8 a.m. at Bon Secours St. Francis in West Ashley.

It stays open until the last player is seen.