Aug. 11, 2025
Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic (KOC) will host its annual KOC Kick-Off Classic for Knox County high school football teams and fans to get a glimpse of the competition before the regular season begins.
The two-day event takes place Thursday, Aug. 14, at Halls High School and Friday, Aug. 15, at Farragut High School with games beginning at 7 p.m. Participating high schools include Austin-East, Bearden, Carter, Central, Farragut, Fulton, Gibbs, Grace Christian, Halls, Hardin Valley, Karns, Powell, South-Doyle and West.
“This is a great opportunity to emphasize safety and injury prevention for these student-athletes right from the start,” said Dr. Andrew Holt, KOC sports medicine physician. “It’s exciting for us to see these players in action after working with them in training rooms and practice. It’s also a good chance for teams to build morale and ensure players start their season feeling healthy and supported.”
KOC performed 800 low-cost preparticipation physical evaluations in May to help prepare youth athletes from across East Tennessee for summer conditioning, practice and the season ahead. It’s part of the organization’s commitment to supporting youth athletes, schools and the broader community.
As the official sports medicine provider for Knox County Schools, KOC places certified athletic trainers at 13 Knox County high schools as well as schools in numerous surrounding counties to provide sports medicine coverage at practice, in training rooms and on the sidelines at games. These are healthcare professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. They work closely with KOC physicians and physical therapists to make sure any injured athletes get the best care possible to get back to their sport.
In addition to athletic trainers who work with individual teams, KOC physicians and other healthcare providers are routinely on the sidelines at games to provide immediate assessment, treatment and support for student-athletes.
The schedule and team matchups for the KOC Kick-Off Classic can be found on the website at KOCortho.com.
Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic has a longstanding history of supporting local athletes with KOC doctors serving as team physicians for area high schools and post-secondary institutions, including the University of Tennessee, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Lincoln Memorial University and Johnson University. KOC providers also support professional teams including the Knoxville Smokies, One Knoxville Sporting Club and the Knoxville Ice Bears.
For more information about the KOC Kick-Off Classic event and other sports medicine outreach efforts, visit kocortho.com.
About Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic
Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic is the region’s largest provider of orthopaedic care and services with more than 520,000 patient visits annually at 12 East Tennessee locations. As a network of convenient and accessible clinics that provide exceptional orthopaedic care across the region, KOC comprises 10 office locations; two ambulatory surgery centers; and additional services including urgent care, MRI, orthotics and bracing, physical and occupational therapy and sports medicine outreach. KOC’s more than 150 orthopaedic experts, supported by over 1,000 team members, provide a superior quality of diagnostic proficiency; when needed, an unmatched level of surgical expertise; and a patient-centered approach to deliver unparalleled personalized treatment. The network recently earned a 2025 “Top Workplace” ranking from the Knoxville News Sentinel based on employee surveys measuring company culture. For more information, visit kocortho.com.
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