By Megan Swan
Outlined against the backdrops of torn pulled muscles, sobbing athletes, screaming fans, broken wrists, and frosty 6am practices is every sports team at Mesa State and the common thread that links each them together; The athletic trainers.
“Athletic training is not for the faint of heart, you have to deal with complaining athletes, not be grossed out by blood, bruises, and puke, and you have to be there before and after the athletes leave,” said junior student trainer AnnMarie Rucci. Athletic training here at Mesa State is a full time job that almost never gets noticed by fans unless there is a traumatic injury on the field and sometimes is even unappreciated by the athletes that are being treated.
What some athletes fail to realize is the time commitment the student athletic trainers put in for the program. Student trainers have to log 1,100 hours as a requirement to graduate. Each trainer for a sports team has to arrive at least 90 minutes before each practice and 3 hours before an actual game let alone stay for extended hours after the game to post treat players and clean up the training room.
If a trainer is working the Friday night football game at 7:00, they will most likely have to show up at 3:30. Then they work the game from 7:00 to about 9:45. After words they wait to do post game treatments then clean up the training room. After this is all said and done the time is about 11:00 p.m. and it has been about an 8 hour day for that training staff.
Being an athlete I would constantly hear complaints about the student trainers and how they don’t know what there are talking about and that they were in a bad mood today or did a poor tape job. The important thing that people have to remember is that they are “student” trainers. Athletic training is their major and they are learning just as any other student would be. Yes it is frustrating when you receive an uncomfortable tape job or an awkward treatment and the head athletic training staff does acknowledge when students are not adamant about their work and will dismiss that person if need required.
“Getting an athlete back on the field after an injury is such a rewarding feeling,” said athletic training program graduate Cody Moore. The trainers really do enjoy getting athletes better. It shows them that they are doing their job properly. Why else would they make this career choice…because they want to help people.
It is difficult for the fans/general public to a care about or acknowledge the athletic trainers. That’s not who they come to watch and hopefully during a game they won’t have to do much or deal with a serious injury. If you are an athlete at Mesa State, be considerate to the work, effort, and attention that every student gives each individual athlete.