Our Athletic Trainer

By Misi Mapa, September 29, 2024

From dawn to dusk, our athletic trainer, Jess, is busy making sure our student-athletes are at their best. She usually arrives when fourth period starts, ready to help during athletics classes. Her day kicks off with documenting injury updates and seeing athletes for evaluations or rehab exercises. When practices and games begin, Jess sets up her equipment, tapes athletes, and keeps a close eye on everyone to handle any injuries that come up.

Jess has to manage many tasks at once, focusing first on the most serious injuries and those athletes who are competing that day. She often treats ankle sprains, tendonitis, and shin splints, creating specific plans to help athletes recover. Building good relationships with the athletes is important to her, so she adjusts her approach based on each athlete's personality. Although injury prevention is vital in sports medicine, being the only athletic trainer means she sometimes has limited time for these strategies.

Finding a balance between paperwork and hands-on training can be tough, especially during busy seasons. Jess stays updated on the latest in sports medicine by taking courses and reading medical journals. Many people think athletic trainers just tape injuries and apply ice, but they are trained to handle a wide variety of situations. For anyone thinking about a career in athletic training, Jess encourages them to go for it because it’s a rewarding job that allows you to help others and experience many emotions in a short time