On Call On The Sidelines

Shortly after Dr. Scott Cooper started his career at Ozark Orthopaedics 12 years ago, he was invited by a local family practitioner to go to a Rogers High football game. It was the late Dr. Jerry Hitt — a 2002 Rogers Sports Hall of Fame inductee, who asked Cooper if he wanted to stand on the sidelines with him during the Mounties' football games. To this day, Cooper serves as the Mounties' team doctor and is a sounding board for Rogers' trainer David Roller. "I take care of the Rogers Mounties and go to all their football games, home and away, unless I'm on call or working," Cooper said. "David knows he can call me anytime, and I usually talk to him two to three times a week about an injured athlete." Providing advice and assistance to Roller is one way Cooper and Ozark Orthopaedics provide a service to the community. Dr. Michael Griffey also provides the service to Rogers Heritage. With five locations, the clinics see athletes from around the area. Because the 7A West is becoming so competitive, it's a sign of the times that Rogers has a full-time trainer in Roller. The medical attention the high school athletes receive has changed dramatically over the years. Mark Haynes is the athletic trainer at Rogers' Heritage, giving the district two full-time athletic trainers. "I am a good resource for David," Cooper said. "He does an excellent job. When we are on the sideline, we actually tease each other about who will make the right diagnosis. "I see a lot of the athletes after (injuries) to them and not just football players, but volleyball and basketball players and athletes from all sports." With advances in training and the athletes becoming stronger and more flexible, injuries are different than they were even a decade ago. However, because the competition has gotten tougher, coaches want their players back as soon as possible. "Coaches are coaches, and sometimes we might butt heads," Cooper said. "But the medical staff always wins. They are reasonable and know the health and safety of the athlete are most important." One advantage Cooper has is he gets to watch the game from the sidelines. But the biggest reward is having fun while giving back to the community.