Ron Courson & Glenn Henry: Building an Emergency Response Team and Plan for Safe Sports

Ron Courson, University of Georgia Senior Associate Athletic Director,  long-time director of sports medicine, was promoted to Executive Associate Athletic Director in February, 2021.
 
 Serving at UGA since 1995, Courson most recently helped navigate the Athletic Association, and especially the football program, through the nation-wide Pandemic serving and supporting the development of policy and protocols at the local, Southeastern Conference, and NCAA levels.
  
 Prior to joining the UGA staff in 1995, Courson served as Director of Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama from 1991-1995 and Director of Rehabilitation with Samford University from 1989-1991. He received his undergraduate degree in education/physical education from Samford University, performed two years of graduate work at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and graduated with honors from the Medical College of Georgia with a degree in physical therapy. Courson is a national registered advanced emergency medical technician as well as a certified strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
 
 During his career in sports medicine, Courson has also been involved in many athletic training activities including work as an athletic trainer with the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea; 1990 Goodwill Games; 1987 World University Games, 1987 Pan American Games and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He served as the chief athletic trainer for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials as well as the chief athletic trainer for track and field for the Atlanta Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games (ACOG).
 
 Courson is active in his profession, having served as the president of the SEC Sports Medicine Committee, chairman of the College and University Athletic Trainers' Committee of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and as a member of the NCAA Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports committee. He is a past medical liaison to the American Football Coaches Association and serves currently on the NFL Health and Safety Committee and the USA Football Medical Advisory Board.
 
 Ron received the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award in 2005 from the National Athletic Trainers' Association and was inducted into the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in 2011 and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2013. Most recently, Courson was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in January, 2018.
  
 Courson serves as an adjunct instructor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Georgia, teaching in the nationally accredited athletic training education program. He is active in research and education in the field of sports medicine, having authored a textbook, "Athletic Training Emergency Care", a number of professional papers and text chapters and presents frequently at regional and national sports medicine meetings.
 
 Courson is married to the former Eileen O'Connell of Waycross, Georgia. Ron and Eileen have four children, John, Anna, Luke, and Will.

 Mr. Glenn Henry,  recently retired from the Athens Technical College named Mr.  Henry as dean of Life Sciences for the community college.  He has also worked closely with UGA athletes and their emergency response planning and training.

            Mr. Henry has served as interim dean for the Life Sciences division since September 1 after the former dean, Dr. Scott Martin, left to pursue private practice. Prior to that, Mr. Henry oversaw the college’s Emergency Medical Services studies as program chair. Mr. Henry recently established the college’s new Fire Science Technology program that will launch fall semester 2013.

  &amp