WHS Graduate Recalls Ware Injury
On Sunday, March 31, the unthinkable happened at the final game of the Midwest Regional Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Kevin Ware, a player for the Louisville Cardinals suffered an injury that officials report is both uncommon and unnerving in the sport of basketball.
As the 6-foot-2 basketball player proceeded across the court, he made a light jump that ended terribly wrong. Ware’s leg seemingly snapped in half as his leg fractured completely out of his skin. Though all hope seemed lost, one Warsaw native was there to help save the day.
Ralph Reiff, a Wawasee High School graduate and director of sports medicine at St. Vincent Hospital, was among the first on scene to assist the injured basketball star. He and his team of trainers and physicians were able to escort Ware to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis in approximately 30 minutes.
“By all accounts it went well,” said Reiff on his team’s instantaneous reaction to Ware’s injury. “In general terms, everything went according to plan and there were no flaws in the process. Sure there is always a certain amount of nit-picking about what you could have done, but we had an emergency response in place.
“As we go through setting up for the event, we develop a scope of care – who has what responsibility, where are we covering. Accidents that occur must have a process. The paramedics we have on staff communicate with staff, teams and other paramedics.”
Reiff, who volunteered to work on the medical team for the event, said he and his team had discussed the best responses to several emergency situations over the past four days. One major concern of the Lucas Oil Stadium is the elevated court, which makes an emergency entrance and exit slightly more difficult.
Though his success in assisting Ware seamlessly has brought Reiff’s name into the spotlight, this isn’t the first time Reiff has covered a major sporting event.
Reiff began his athletic training career at Butler University where he managed athlete health care, weight rooms and equipment for all sports, as well as worked as an assistant professor. Reiff has managed medical aspects of numerous NCAA events including Men’s Final Four Basketball Championships as serving as athletic manager for several Olympic and World Championship events.
Though Reiff has traveled around the world with his work, his interest for athletic training first began here in Kosciusko County. As a high school student, Reiff played numerous sports including baseball, basketball and football. In 1975, Reiff suffered a very serious knee injury that would forever change his life. According to him, it was after medical treatment for that injury that a medical professional caring for him first sparked his interest in his future career by suggesting it as a good fit for him.
When asked what suggestions he would have for high school students hoping to follow in his footsteps, Reiff said that after obtaining an athletic training degree, students should seek out volunteer positions for the events that spark their interest.
“I’ve done an awful lot of volunteer work outside of my job at Butler and St. Vincent. My biggest piece of advice is to volunteer,” he explained. “Find an organization to work for with access to the type of events that interest you. Event organizers are always looking for medical personnel. Indiana has great programs for athletic training. There is no lack of options here.”
Though his direct work with Kevin Ware came to a close on Sunday, Reiff said he plans to follow up on his condition through media releases from his team’s sports director and possibly more after the Final Four competition.
“The athletic trainer from Louisville did a great job caring for his team,” he added. “I will be following up through media releases through the sports director [on Ware’s condition]. Once they are done with Final Four, I will follow up.”