SUPERHEROES: Athletic trainers are the superheroes of sports.
By Connor Cassidy, Staff Writer
Although athletic games at Poly always have athletic trainers on the sidelines, they are not recognized very often by students, families and athletes. The Sports Medicine program plays a big role in ensuring the physical safety and health of athletes. An athletic trainer’s job is to come out of the sidelines and help an injured player during a game. Their job is not only to help them off the field but to treat the injury as well. They also do first aid to help with the immediate injury.
Throughout the school year, the student in Sports Medicine work alongside Poly’s certified athletic trainer, Megan Lopez. “Being able to work alongside Megan and the other certified athletic trainers has given me the opportunity to advance my skills knowledge of the medical field and athletic training” claims the Sports Medicine President, Marina Bryant (12). As for the goals of the Sports Medicine Program, Poly’s athletic trainers aim to help athletes and learn about the best treatments for certain types of injuries.
Athletic trainers have a specific way of training their members. The training process begins with a competency sheet, which is used to identify certain skills. “We use a competency sheet for the interviews for entry,” explains Bryant (12). These skills include professionalism, dedication to the club, showing up, and communication. The program has certain requirements for the applicants to join, including being equipped with all the materials necessary, and the proper skills. The hardest thing about the program for members is remembering what to do during emergencies and how to accomplish those actions.
Overall, athletic trainers truly are the superheroes of sports. Athletes can always depend on the athletic trainers whenever they are injured. So, even though the athletic trainers are not recognized very often, they play a very important role. Next time you attend a football game, don’t forget to applaud the heroes on the sidelines.