Athletics

Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is an umbrella term that includes the athletic trainers, physicians, team coaches, and strength and conditioning coaches who work in concert to keep athletes healthy and performing at their highest level.

The mission of the SHP Sports Medicine program  is to ensure the overall health of our athletes utilizing current research-based treatments and standards, set by Sacred Heart Prep, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, California Interscholastic Federation Sports Medicine Guidelines, and the West Bay Athletic League. SHP athletic trainers work under the direction of Stanford Orthopedics.

What We Do

  • Injury prevention
  • Injury evaluation
  • Injury treatment and rehabilitation
  • Immediate first aid and emergency procedures
  • Health, wellness, and injury education and counseling

Our Sports Medicine Team

List of 4 items.

  • Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance: Holly Brown, EdD, ATC

    Experienced with athletes of all ages, sports, and levels of competition-- including Olympic and professional teams and athletes--Holly completed her doctorate in 2022 through the University of St. Augustine School for Health Sciences and is certified through the  National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Prior to SHP, she served as an athletic trainer for the 2007 World University Games in Thailand and with USA Softball (2008-2011), and prior to Sacred Heart Prep she was faculty in the Department of Kinesiology at San Jose State University. She currently serves as a member of the California Athletic Trainers’ Association’s (CATA) Legislative Action Team and is the CATA’s Region 2 Director.
  • Head Athletic Trainer: Robert Fennell, MS, ATC

    Bobby is a certified athletic trainer with over 10 years of experience in the secondary school setting. He earned his Master’s Degree in Athletic Training from A.T. Still University – Arizona School of Health Sciences. He regularly attends national athletic training conventions to keep up to date on current trends and new research. Prior to joining SHP in 2013, Bobby has worked in both public and private high schools, physical therapy clinics, and orthopedic physician offices.
  • Assistant Athletic Trainer: Rachel Vaccaro, MA, ATC

    Rachel received a Bachelor’s Degree in athletic training from the University of Delaware where she was also a member of the women’s soccer team. She moved to California to pursue a masters degree at San Jose State University. Rachel has worked in collegiate, high school, and outreach settings.
  • Consulting Physician: Marc R. Safran, MD, Stanford University

    Marc R. Safran, MD is Professor and Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University. He also serves as the Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Stanford and is a team physician for the Stanford Teams. Dr. Safran has over 20 years experience as a football team physician, including professional, NCAA Division 1 and high school football. He is also the Head Orthopaedic Consultant to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and is a consultant for the NBA Players Association and NHL Players Association. Dr. Safran earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Berkeley and completed medical school at Duke University. He went on to the UCLA for his general surgery internship and orthopaedic surgery residency. Dr. Safran then completed a sports medicine and shoulder surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Safran has authored or co- authored over 200 scientific articles, 125 book chapters and 9 books relating to orthopaedic surgery, focusing mainly on sports medicine. He is a diplomat at the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and he has been a board member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) as well as the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) societies. He is a past president of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy and most recently completed his 2 year term as president of the International Society for Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS), the largest orthopaedic sports medicine society in the world.

Concussion Education for SHP Athletes

All SHP athletes must complete the Crash Course Concussion Education course in order to participate in athletics.
The Crash Course can be found in the portal on the Resources > Athletics tile.
Questions?
Please contact Holly Brown
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Sacred Heart Prep Receives National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School Award
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Contact

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Holly Brown

    Holly Brown 

    Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance - SHP
  • Photo of Robert Fennell

    Robert Fennell 

    Head Athletic Trainer - SHP
  • Photo of Rachel Vaccaro

    Rachel Vaccaro 

    Assistant Athletic Trainer

Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

150 Valparaiso Ave
Atherton, CA 94027
650 322 1866
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12