With 26 different sports and 66 coaches, it comes as no surprise that Archbishop Mitty High School boasts a competitive athletic program, one with a history of successful athletes. But such a program wouldn’t be possible without experienced athletic trainers, which is why we asked athletic trainer Chelsea Waldrup what her work looks like on a daily basis.

Mrs. Waldrup explained, “It honestly varies day to day depending on what games are on campus, and that’s one thing I love about my job too: nothing is ever 100% the same. I could come to work one day and have no injuries, or I could come and have five. But typically I get here every day at 12:30 pm, deal with paperwork stuff from 12:30 – 2:40 pm, then once school is out, get all the athletes to practice and then just cover practices and games as they happen.”

Although talent and hard work can get athletes far in sports, injuries are always a concern and can cut a player’s season short. In order to avoid devastating injuries, athletic trainers help players take care of themselves so they can stay at the top of their game.

Injuries are no small setback in the athletic space, and being treated without proper care has the potential to ruin a player’s athletic career. With essentially every  sport requiring attention, athletic trainers work around the clock helping athletes recover from their injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, the trainers follow different protocols and help the athletes in different ways.

Mrs. Waldrup noted that in case of an emergency, “Both my assistant and I work together to move quickly and efficiently but in a calm manner.” While the athlete’s safety is always the number one concern, it is important that a trainer stays calm and collected, helping to reassure the athlete while they get the treatment they need. Additionally, they make sure to direct the coaches to call 911 while also telling the players to activate the emergency action plan in which players work together to direct the EMS workers to the scene of the accident.

Unsurprisingly, athletic trainers tend to be passionate about what they do and love the environment that comes with a job centered around sports and medicine. When asked why she chose to become an athletic trainer, Mrs. Waldrup said, “I have always loved sports and being around athletes and I knew I always wanted to do something with athletics, so when I found out about training I immediately fell in love with it because I get to be around sports. I also have always been fascinated with the human body, particularly how it works and recovers from injuries. That’s a huge part of my job too.”

Athletic trainers aren’t going to hit a home run or dunk a basketball, but they definitely play a large part in the health of the players who do.