Doctor volunteers at boxing matches
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| Dr. Brad Wright, above, examines a boxer before a bout at the World Boxing Championships, which were in Azerbaijan. |
He was treating knee problems for both Rayford and Rhonda Collins, who run the Jackson Boxing Club, when he found out they needed another physician volunteer on hand so they could hold their local amateur matches.
An orthopedic surgeon who devotes a good part of his practice to sports medicine, Dr. Wright volunteered to be one of their physicians. He soon developed a whole new interest in boxing. He even spent a week in classes at Colorado Springs to get certified by USA Boxing, the governing body for all amateur boxing in this country.
Fast forward to October 2006 and Dr. Wright found himself in Baku, Azerbaijan, as the head physician for Team USA at the World Boxing Championships. USA Boxing had called him last August to see if he would volunteer a week at the World Cup event. “It was quite an experience,” said Dr. Wright, who practices at Sports, Orthopedics and Spine in Jackson.
Azerbaijan, a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslin population, is a republic that once was a part of the Soviet Union. It is on the Caspian Sea between Iran and Russia.
Not knowing what medical conditions he would encounter, Dr. Wright said he packed everything he could anticipate using.
As the team physician, he examined each boxer before matches and was ringside in case anything happened. The boxing matches were largely uneventful; his biggest challenge was treating one of the boxers for a reoccurring nosebleed so he could continue boxing. “It worked,” Dr. Wright says. “The boxer won his final bout on points. That was very gratifying.”
Sports medicine in general is a gratifying part of his practice, he says. “It’s what we do; it’s what we enjoy.” He is the team doctor for the University of Tennessee at Martin. His partners at Sports, Orthopedics and Spine also are team physicians for Lambuth University, Freed-Hardeman University, the Memphis River Kings (ice hockey) and the Diamond Jaxx.
The goal with sports medicine, said Dr. Wright, is to find the best solution to allow the athlete to continue to participate in his or her sport, to minimize any negative impact of surgery and treatment on an athlete so that he or she can return to their sport quickly.
To earn his certification from USA Boxing, Dr. Wright says he had to be knowledgeable in several areas beyond his usual practice of orthopedic medicine, including facial anatomy, eye problems, and neurological problems. “Being up on those kinds of problems is part of the fun of being involved with the sport.”
Amateur boxing, Dr. Wright says, is a safe sport. “It’s more akin to tae kwan do or fencing. It’s all about scoring points, not knocking out your opponent.”
Amateur boxing rules require a physician to be present during matches. “Without volunteers like Dr. Wright we couldn’t have our events,” said Collins of the Jackson Boxing Club. “The events are the only income we have, so without the doctors we’d have to close our doors.”
Before and after each bout, each boxer must be examined by a physician, Dr. Wright says. “Amateur boxing is one of the safest sports out there because of the oversight.”
Dr. Wright, who also is on the board of the Jackson Boys and Girls Club, appreciates how boxing helps young people. “It provides discipline and a way to develop self respect and respect for your opponent. Boxing has so many positives to it.”