Salem High School's Sean P. Cox is the 2009 New Hampshire Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer of the Year

Mr. Cox has served as head athletic trainer and teacher at Salem High School for the past 25 years and has been a positive influence on the profession of athletic training in the state of New Hampshire during this time. A founding member of the NHATA and a long standing member of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association's Sports Medicine committee since 1990 Mr. Cox has played a hand in policy decisions that help to promote the safety and well being of all New Hampshire high school athletes. Mr. Cox also serves as an approved clinical instructor in the clinical education of athletic training student from Merrimack College's athletic training education program.

In addition to his role with the NHIAA, Mr. Cox has served as the Coordinator of the Wrestling Body Fat and Weight monitoring system for NHIAA member schools and has coordinated collaboration with the Salem Rescue squad on best transition of care from initial ATC evaluation to the stabilization and transportation.

Mr. Cox has actively contributed to research in the field of athletic training participating in studies on injury rates of high school athletes, safe and effective means of emergency face mask removal for football players and evaluation and return to play decisions for concussive head trauma. Most recently Mr. Cox has been instrumental in the implementation of the ImPact^TM neurocognitive assessment tool to assist in the management of athletes under his care who have suffered a concussion. Mr. Cox coordinates use of ImPactTM with Dr. Art Maerlender of Dartmouth Medical School contributing to the evolving understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of concussions.

Presented by his long time assistant athletic trainer at Salem High School Erin Shirley ATC, Ms. Shirley stated that it is "Sean's care of his athletes, mentorship of young professionals, participation in research and outreach to the community that make him worthy of this honor". In summary of Mr. Cox's impact on the field of athletic training, Ms. Shirley added that "Sean is living proof that a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle".

Mr. Cox has previously been honored by the National Athletic Trainer's Association, receiving its Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2007.

Sean P. Cox and Erin Shirley Sean Cox and family