Brooke Amosson Co-Editor-in-Chief
Friday night lights are a crucial part of a true high school experience, but they wouldn’t be possible without the help of our athletic trainers. The athletic trainers(A.T.) are the unsung heroes of our athletic program, working behind the scenes, often going unnoticed, as they ensure our athletes are at their best. The A.T.s play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of student athletes.
Commitment plays a huge role in being an athletic trainer, they get to the games before the athletes and leave after everyone as well. Senior Brianna Willis is the head student athletic trainer. Planning to use the experience she gained to go into the medical field to become a nurse. She emphasized the dedication that goes into being an A.T..
“The most difficult part of being an athletic trainer is how non-stop it is, its constant go go go, breaks are very little so you take advantage of them, it’s a whole lot of early mornings and late nights,” Willis said.
Being the first line of defense can put a lot of pressure on the trainers. Assessment of an athlete’s injury is the first step in their recovery journey.
“When an athlete has gone down during a game, as a head athletic trainer I would run out on the field along with A.T. Murrah and Sifuentes, I try to beat them there so I can calm the athlete down before they are evaluated, they might be in pain so I try to ask if they’re okay and if they can sit up, I give them water but everything happens so quickly,” Willis said.
Being the first source of medical attention can be a lot of pressure, but the focus will always remain on the athlete. Senior Brianna Linstad who is in her fourth year of athletic training doesn’t focus on the pressure of being a trainer.
“We don’t overthink it, like we’re always there, we’re here for them so it really just feels good knowing that we’re here to help if anything goes wrong,” Lindsstad said
Game preparation is key to making sure that everything goes smoothly during the game. For things to go smoothly the trainers follow a specific procedure, list of things needed, make sure all equipment is accounted for, and prepare for any possible injuries, it’s not easy. The preparation for every sport is different. The head athletic trainer Domingo Sifuentes talks about the preparation for a football game.
The athletic trainers line up together before the homecoming game. Photo by: Brooke Amosson
“Prep day starts the day after a game, the first day we do treatments for injuries from the game, day two we start talking to coaches about who’s gonna be out, who’s probable, who’s doubtful and who’s out for sure. We keep the coaches updated throughout the week and the practices, the day before the game we come to a final decision on who’s ready or not,” Sifuentes said.
Athletic training isn’t easy, it’s a whole lot of work divided between two people, Murrah and Sifuentes take time out of their days of teaching to put focus on the athletes.
“Keeping up with all the injuries, having to see over a thousand athletes between two people, myself and A.T Murrah, seeing about 70 to 80 people today some with common injuries some more serious, a doctor’s office doesn’t even see that many people a day,” Sifuentes said.
The athletic trainers are the silent champions of our athletic program. Making sure all athletes are at their best every day. In addition to football, the A.T.s work to provide aid to all of the sports at our school. They represent commitment and dedication to all they do. Make sure to thank all your athletic trainers in March for National Athletic Trainer Month.
