Sports medicine competed in the state HOSA, Future Health Professionals, at the Leadership Conference from April 3 to April 5 and clinched the top places in their categories. These winners submitted or competed in a variety of competitions. These competitions are to “motivate HOSA members to recognize the competencies developed by members” specified by the national HOSA organization. This year HOSA brought 24 students to the state competition and had seven qualify for the national competition while three are actually going. These three are sophomore Addison Strouf, junior Maddie McDonald, and senior Sumaya Quitugua 

HOSA competitions operate in several stages. As their advisor Allyson Romero specified “The first round is all online testing, and then the top scores move on to regionals. Then the top five of each region compete in state. Then the top people from the state go to nationals” HOSA competitions have a variety of competitions and events that students can compete in at their leadership conferences.

There are many opportunities for future medical professionals to compete in the competitions of their choice as sophomore Addison Strouf stated “There’s a bunch of categories you can compete in, like a research poster about researching something random, researching a career, there’s just so many examples you could use as a project” This opens the door for students to apply themselves in a medical interest they have whether it be practical or technical.

 HOSA, through rigorous preparation and determination, placed in varying top spots in several categories. Junior Maddie McDonald stated, “It takes a lot of drive and research and just trying to get good at what you’re doing.” Hard work is obviously valued at these competitions with a large field of competitors competing for top spots. Slaking is not recommended for HOSA competitors who want to place high up.

Sophomore Addison Strouf competed in the state competition by making a research poster about dementia and placed third in her category. Junior McDonald placed second in a sports medicine competition which includes skills and written tests. Senior Sumaya Quitugua, who competed in prepared speaking, placed second. To qualify students had to place top three in the whole state in their category and the top three of each event or competition would move on to the international competition.

When she recalled competing, sophomore Addsion Strouf expressed “I did an individual project so I was only working on by myself but I just created, did research on my own, tried my best and hoped that I would make it. As a group everyone was just supporting each other.” That team spirit helped build confidence before and throughout the competition. Teamwork and collective responsibility is what helped qualify seven students for national competition as Romero described “All of them have been diligent about practicing,” where all three students going to national competition went out of their way to practice, or reach out for help and information. 

National competition will be from June 21 to June 24 in Dallas, TX.