Investing in Our Greatest Asset: Memorial + CPSB

Memorial and CPSB Have Worked Together for More Than 30 Years to Support Southwest Louisiana Student-Athletes

In Southwest Louisiana, school athletics are about more than competition. Sporting events bring families, schools and entire communities together, giving students an opportunity to build relationships, develop leadership skills and become part of something bigger than themselves.

For more than 30 years, Lake Charles Memorial Health System and the Calcasieu Parish School Board have worked together to help make those experiences safer for local student-athletes. In this video, Dr. Jason VanMetre, CPSB Superintendent of Schools, and Jason Rashall, Chief Strategy Officer at Lake Charles Memorial Health System, discuss the history and impact of a partnership that has become an important part of athletics throughout Calcasieu Parish.

Expert Care Where Students Need It

Through the partnership, Memorial athletic trainers are embedded within CPSB schools, giving student-athletes access to trained healthcare professionals during the school day, at practices and on the sidelines.

Their work extends far beyond responding when an athlete gets hurt. Athletic trainers help with injury prevention, concussion management, emergency response and ongoing support while developing relationships with the students they care for every day.

That familiarity can make an important difference during some of the most frightening moments in sports. As Rashall recalls in the video, one injured student-athlete saw his athletic trainer approaching on the field and simply said, "When I saw you, I knew it was going to be okay."

For parents, coaches and students, having immediate access to a trusted healthcare professional provides another level of confidence when an injury occurs.

More Than 30 Years of Investment

Sports medicine has changed significantly since the partnership began. Greater understanding of concussion management, injury prevention and athlete safety has transformed the way schools approach student health, while collaboration among athletic trainers, physicians and school officials has created a more comprehensive system of support.

Memorial has invested millions of dollars into the CPSB sports medicine program throughout its more than three decades of service, reflecting a long-term commitment to the health and safety of Southwest Louisiana's young athletes.

But the impact extends beyond the playing field. Whether a student goes on to compete collegiately, pursues professional athletics or hangs up their uniform after high school, the goal remains the same: helping students safely participate in the activities they love while developing lessons and experiences they can carry into adulthood.

For Memorial and CPSB, this partnership is about more than sports. It's about health, safety, leadership and giving every student an opportunity to succeed.