Tommy Mallon was a lacrosse player for Santa Fe Christian High School in San Diego. During a game, Tommy and another player collided, causing Tommy to fall to the turf. Fortunately for the Mallon family, the school had a Certified Athletic Trainer, Riki Kirchhoff, on hand who recognized that, despite Tommy’s protests to the contrary, this might be a serious injury. Riki may have saved Tommy’s life. The rest of the story, along with information about the terrific foundation Tommy and his mother, Beth Mallon, founded is here.
The Mallons are close friends: I coached one of their boys in Little League and he later was a high school basketball teammate of my oldest son. Tommy’s story and their subsequent efforts to assist athletes who have been injured and help prevent injuries of this type from occurring are truly inspiring and remarkable.
Filed under: Parents and Children, Sports World
