Unified Sports

Ath let ic Tra iners work beh ind the spotlight

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor

While the athletes are giving their best on the fi eld, a group of students are silently watching from the crowd, constantly alert for any emergency situation that may happen. Although many people may not notice them in the game, the athletic trainers are an integral part in the athletic department.

Th e main job of athletic trainers is to help athletes get prepared for a game and to be the fi rst to respond to an injury during a training event or a game. Th ey are taught basic sports medicine knowledge such as icing, stretching and rehabilitation mechanisms along with training in fi rst aid.

Lauren Armedilla, senior, joined the program her sophomore year and has since fallen in love with sports medicine. “I was always interested in the medical fi eld and never had a specifi c path into where I was going. So I always thought, Okay, let’s try medical and see where that takes me,” Armedilla said.

Th e program sets up an open clinic every Wednesday to help with any injuries athletes have acquired over the past week. From this, the members of the program are able to apply the knowledge that they learned into real life case studies, ranging from broken bones to torn muscles. One of the active members, Sadhuni Jayaratna, senior, described one of her most memorable encounters as an athletic trainer.

“Th e player was trying to intercept the ball and jammed his fi nger against it. His ring fi nger was really swollen and he was unable to move it. My initial reaction was to get a certifi ed athletic trainer from Bonnie due to the fact that I am still a student. I had him sit out of the game and ice his fi nger,” Jayaratna said.

Noelle Estiandan, senior, joined the program as a sophomore aft er she shadowed football practices in the previous year. “I’ve never really been athletic or good at sports, but I was still interested in them and I wanted to be around them in some way. I also was exploring my options in what I might want to pursue in college,” Estiandan said.

Not only were the members able to gain more knowledge and experience through this program, they also developed critical skills that are useful even outside the realm of sports medicine.

Ice hockey is not a sport off ered by NPHS athletics. However, that has not stopped students from playing it. Th e NPHS hockey club allows students to play ice hockey in a casual setting and interact with other enthusiasts.

Kyle Agnello, senior, has been playing hockey since he was nine. He joined the club in order to fi nd others who were passionate about the sport. “I (wanted) to get involved more in the school as well as surround myself with others who love hockey,” Agnello said. As a part of the club, members meet regularly and engage in various activities, practicing three times a week at the Simi Valley Iceoplex and competing on the weekends.

Hudson Lawrence, senior, joined the club during his sophomore year in order to play with his friends. He explains that the club welcomes students from other schools who want to play hockey, currently having members from Agoura and Calabasas high schools. “We have seven kids from Newbury Park, and aft er that, we allow kids… from other schools to join so we can have a full team that can compete,” Lawrence said. Th e club is relatively small and teammates hope to increase its membership in the future. “(I love surprising) people when they fi nd out that we have a hockey club,” Lawrence said.

For Bentley Simcox, junior, joining the club has motivated him to improve on his playing abilities. “It makes me just want to play more and more and more,” Simcox said. By being an active member of the club, Simcox has found new opportunities to display his talent and compete against others. In April, he will be participating in America’s Showcase, “where all the best hockey players from the United States go and compete and represent their state,” he said.

Although ice hockey is not a part of the athletics department, hockey club has made eff orts to form a competitive school team. Participation in the sport is still relatively small, but it has grown rapidly over the years. “(Ice hockey is) growing pretty fast and it’s getting a lot more competitive (in California),” Simcox said. However, due to the fact that teammates come from diff erent schools, these eff orts have been largely unfruitful. Regardless, the club has and will continue to provide an outlet for students to enjoy their passion. “Th e club has boosted my love for the game… I have been able to show the sport to others that might not have seen (it) played before,” Lawrence said.

Be preparede prepared- The 2018-2019 athletic trainers pose in front of the fi eld during a football game. These students are trained in fi rst aid and are taught healing mechanisms in order for them to treat any injuries that athletes have. “So we have the opportunity to learn from Mrs. Caulfi eld and we learn tape jobs or we learn stretching techniques because those injured athletes are coming in prior to their practices,” Armedilla said. The athletic training program is a year long fi fth period. Lauren Armedilla/With Permission

Hockey club holds high potential

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor

“Th e best thing I’ve probably learned or gained from being a trainer is problem solving. I learned that problem solving is not just a skill, but a whole mindset. One that drives people to bring out the best in themselves and shape the world positively,” Estiandian said.

Students who are interested in sports medicine are all welcome to join the athletic trainers program, no matter if they treat is a future career or just one of their hobbies.

“I think this just really opened my eyes that there is a need for sports medicine and that no one’s really aware of this,and that I am willing to off er my services and that there’s people out there who’d like really need my help,” Armedilla said.

Icedced- Bentley Simcox, junior, prepares to score a goal on the opposing team. Simcox has been playing hockey since he was fi ve and joined hockey club to further his skills and meet other players. Although ice hockey is relatively small, the sport has been quickly gaining interest over the years. “It’s growing pretty fast and it’s getting a lot more competitive here,” Simcox said. Bentley Simcox/With Permission