Behind the Scenes: The Unsung Heros of High School Athletics
You’re at a San Marcos High School football game, cheering for the Knights while the players give it their all on the field. But have you ever wondered who’s behind the scenes, ensuring these athletes stay in top shape and perform at their best? That’s where the secret weapons come into play. Athletic Trainers have major responsibilities in ensuring the safety and health of athletes at SMHS.
There can be some confusion on the difference between what a physical therapist (PT) does, and what an athletic trainer does. According to Bon Secours, a Catholic health system, trainers work and focus on athletes and people who are physically active where physical trainers are able to diagnose and treat injuries. When seeking care you should visit an athletic trainer for bleeding wounds, decreased range of motion in a body part or joint, lessening tolerance for physical activity, and muscle or joint pain/swelling.
The training room is a great place to get treatment and resources. The students are taught by the head trainer Paul Savage. Savage began his interest in the medical profession after a training career after fracturing his growth plate in his junior year of high school, disqualifying him from participating in sports.
Savage said, “I might not [have been] able to score the winning touchdown, but I fixed the kid that did.”
After college, Savage worked as an athletic trainer for a pro football team, but his career ultimately landed at San Marcos High when the school’s former trainer had back surgery and was out for six months. Savage said, “he called me and asked, ‘hey it’s your off-season can you come cover for me?’ and so I came and covered the high school for six months and of course, I fell in love with it.”
Seniors Juliet Martin, Kristen Patt, and Elizabeth Allen have been diligently working under Savage for four years. Now, they instruct all junior and underclassmen in the sports medicine program with what they have learned over their years in the program. They especially prepare the juniors, Roxy Moreno, and Annais Ramirez, for when they become the head of the bunch.
"I joined the program because I wanted to be a part of something at SMHS coming into freshman year. My brothers were both athletes here and used the training room and recommended that I apply to the program after seeing how much they learn. The students in the program have become my family and I am so happy I decided to be a part of something so special and unique. #TWG" "I joined the program because I heard about it through my older brother... it was just a cool place to be and a fun thing to do to get involved on campus. Little did I know, it would changed a lot of who I am as a leader and a person for the better... I got to be a part of a family here."
The juniors and seniors have learned a lot about prevention of injuries which is crucial to being able to perform as an athlete. The athletes’ goal is to play their game, the head trainer’s goal is to help achieve the athletes goal by keeping them safe and healthy. The most common injury prevention that you can use before games is taping.
Kristen Patt, a senior in the program said, “There’s a lot of taping because taping is the biggest prevention method; it keeps you from rolling or spraining or rolling it in the opposite direction.”
Not every athlete needs to be taped or treated. You should see a trainer only when someone has had previous or current injuries or feels the need to prevent a certain injury with various treatment methods.
Making and maintaining relationships are essential in the training room. When joining the sports medicine team, you form many connections not only with fellow students in the program but with patients, coaches, athletes, and more. Patt shared that, “Everyone says that you’ll build so many relationships with people [in the program], but a really big part of that is [with] the coaches.” Having a good relationship with the coaches is vital for communication and treatment among their players.
Patt said, “I love getting to know the coaches because they are really good role models, it’s really great to just get some outside life advice.” Through her relationship with the coaches, Patt shows that forming bonds with coaches as a student in this program doesn’t only benefit her in the program, but other life skills as well.
“There’s some crazy times, but overall it’s fun, you make a lot of great connections and you really get to grow as a person here. You become more outgoing, outspoken, and more open-minded.” “You get to know them and then you finally see them play and they literally do so great, like that’s insane,” Ramirez said. Savage’s love for training translates through the passion that his students developed for this field.
Patt said, “A lot of times it’s really chaotic, there’s a lot going on but I also really love the environment of getting to work with so many different people and getting to learn about the medical field. It makes me so proud when you finally get better and get on the field and play.” Being able to receive the joy and accomplishment of watching people you helped recover to do something they love is such an amazing opportunity for students. With Savage’s incredible support and leadership, students face immense growth throughout their experience as students in the program. Ramirez shared that throughout her journey of being in the program, she was able to make great connections and she got the opportunity to grow as a person such as becoming more outspoken, outgoing, and more open-minded. This experience that SMHS and Savage provide does not only teach students to grow in knowledge but also as people. “ I don’t think there’s any other place where we would get that opportunity,” said Patt.
