TRAINERS: THE BACKBONE OF ATHLETICS

BY AUDREY WALKER Reporter

Just three minutes after the final school bell rings, several student-athletes have already started filing into a medical-looking room. They vary by year and sport, but all have one thing in common: they are there to see the trainer.

Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals who treat, prevent and help athletes recover from injuries and play an incredibly important role in athletics. Kaneland’s own trainer, Maggie Walker, said she saw up to 40 to 60 different athletes per week this past fall, and she typically sees some of those athletes multiple times per week. They each come in with their own needs and ailments, though.

“It totally depends on the sport,” Walker said. “During football this year, I saw a lot of shoulder stuff. With basketball I see a lot of ankle stuff, and with track I see a lot of lower body stuff.”

Between fall, winter and spring sports during the 2021-22 school year, Walker wrote 80 student accident reports, which she writes when she refers an athlete to a doctor. The injuries that are not as serious, however, can be treated at the school. Head wrestling coach Kenneth Paoli explained that treating injuries keeps athletes competing.

“The most important thing is keeping our athletes safe,” Paoli said. “Without [trainers], I think we’d have kids that would not come back, if that makes sense.”

Sophomore cross country runner Evan Nosek gets injured frequently during the season and visits the trainer for help.

“I find it very helpful when Maggie’s there, able to support my injuries and everything,” Nosek said. “Last year during track I had a hip injury, and I would come in every day to get it wrapped up.”

Not only do trainers treat existing injuries, but they also work to prevent new ones.

“Obviously she treats the kids as they are injured, but I think she does a lot of things with preventative medicine too,” Athletics and Activities Director David Rohlman said. “You know, if I roll my ankle a little bit and I just go back out there, I may make it worse. But with Maggie around, she can help me strengthen that and then probably prevent another injury down the line.”

Working with coaches is an important part of treating and preventing injuries.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Athletic trainers provide a vital communication link between the injured athlete, the physician, the coach and sometimes the athlete’s family to determine when it’s right to return to practice and competition.”

Last year, shin splints were a big issue for the boys track team, so head boys track coach Andy Drendel and Walker worked together to solve the concern. The athletes now have stretches and exercises that they can do at practice or at home to prevent new cases of shin splints from popping up.

“Pretty much the whole team does certain proactive stretches for the shins because with our kids training in the hallways, shin splints are going to happen pretty much for everybody,” Drendel said.

In addition to providing physical care, an important part of athletic training is building healthy relationships with athletes.

“I think that [Walker] does a really good job of building relationships with our student-athletes, so she has a very good idea of what kids need to be seen for what reasons,” Rohlman said.

Walker agrees that positive relationships with athletes can be helpful. But those relationships can make it difficult when the time comes to break tough news.

“For me, it’s always hard telling a kid their season is over, especially when they’re a senior or something like that,” Walker said. “I hate being the one to break that news to them. It’s just the hardest thing possible. There are just many times when kids get hurt, it’s hard for me not to be emotionally attached to it too. So when a kid does get hurt, I find myself almost tearing up.”

Despite the challenge of delivering unfortunate news, helping athletes is rewarding.

“Seeing someone [go] from an initial injury and helping [them] build back so that they can be successful in their sport, that’s the ultimate reward in this job,” Walker said.

With all that trainers do, between looking out for future injuries and treating current ones while being trusted influences for athletes, they are incredibly important in the athletic ecosystem.

“I think if you talked to any athlete and any coach in the building, they would all tell you how valuable [Walker] is and what she brings to the table,” Drendel said. “Without her, our athletic program wouldn’t be anywhere near as good.”