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OPELIKA, AL — Southern Union State Community College’s Wellness and Sport Sciences Department will host Protect & Perform: Professional Development for Athletic Safety, a one-of-a-kind educational event designed to equip coaches and parents with critical tools to ensure the safety and well-being of student-athletes. The conference will be held at Southern Union’s Opelika Campus in The Southern Room, located within the Business and Technology Center at 301 Lake Condy Road.

The coach-focused sessions will be offered on two separate days, Monday, June 10 and Tuesday, June 11, beginning at 8:00 a.m. CST. These sessions will cover a comprehensive range of topics including program preparedness and emergency action plans (EAPs), injury prevention strategies, management of basic musculoskeletal injuries, taping fundamentals, and nutrition. Attendees will have the opportunity to receive a Professional Development Certificate, with an optional Heartsaver CPR certification. Registration is $60 for the conference alone or $80 for those also seeking CPR certification. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided to all registered participants.

In addition, a special parent session will take place on Monday, June 10 at 5:00 p.m. CST. Designed to empower parents with essential knowledge on how to advocate for their athletes, topics will include concussion awareness, life-threatening emergency preparedness, and a Q&A segment to address specific concerns. The registration fee for the parent session is $15.

Both sessions aim to foster a proactive and informed community around student-athlete safety. Attendees can register on the Southern Union website homepage.

For questions or additional information, please contact Dr. Amy Rogers Cantrell at arogers@suscc.edu.

Southern Union State Community College, with its campuses in Wadley, Opelika, and Valley, stands as the second-oldest two-year college in Alabama. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, SUSCC is committed to academic excellence and community engagement, proudly offering a range of associate degrees.