Why do athletic trainers matter?

When looking at the field during Friday Night Lights, people pay attention to what’s happening during the game. They notice some players on the sidelines, along with the coaches. What they might overlook, though, is that behind the crowd of players is a team of athletic trainers hard at work, ensuring the team is safe, hydrated and properly taken care of.

Sophomore Alex Marion is among those few. Marion became an athletic trainer in her freshman year.

“I remember seeing on TikTok a few years ago, a Day in the Life of an Athletic Trainer. I remember seeing it and immediately knowing that that was what I wanted to do with my life,” Marion said.

“When I registered for classes for my ninth-grade year, I selected sports medicine. I loved the class, and when I had heard about becoming a student athletic trainer, I went to talk to Ms. Jen immediately. The things that I saw the AT do in that TikTok, I am currently doing, and I love it. I just knew that athletic training was a profession that I wanted to get into,” she said.

The LDHS student athletic trainers are always down on the field with the players, through practice and games, home or away. Even if they are not practicing with the boys on the field, they always have a busy day and responsibilities to take care of.

“The first thing we do is load up the Gator. We get the AED, Waterboys, injury ice, toolbox for injuries and cold towels if it gets too hot,” Marion said. “We have to have all this stuff to make sure that the players don’t get hurt, or if they do get hurt, we have the supplies to make sure [the injured limb] is supported and safe. If we get low on supplies before we go down to a practice or a game, we refill our bags and make sure that our bags are organized so we can deal with wounds fast and efficiently. My main responsibilities are making sure the athletes have water and to keep small wounds safe to play with.”

Athletic trainers are a crucial component in assuring our athletes stay safe and perform their very best.

“The athletic trainers make sure that we are hydrated and safe to play; they also make practice more enjoyable,” junior football player Jayce Campbell said.

Some injuries are more intense than others.

“One day at football practice, the baseball team needed Ms. Jen, so we went up, and a boy’s eyebrow was split open, and we had to put sutures on it,” Marion said. “Then he started to throw up. He was throwing up everywhere in the dugout. Then his father came in there, and when he got up to take his son to the emergency room, he passed out on the floor. It was the most insane 10 minutes of my experience as a trainer.”

Whether they are supplying water, wrapping ankles or assisting with sutures, student athletic trainers are integral supports for Raider athletes.