They are wrapping ankles. They are stretching athletes. They are handing out water.
The month of March is National Athletic Training Month with the slogan “Champions in Healthcare” this year. The month was all about the work athletic trainers did to help their athletes.
Athletic trainer Rolando Salas said his main goal was to be able to prepare his students for their futures.
“I want my students to leave our program prepared and confident to have a positive contribution to society,” Salas said. “I strive to teach them knowledge and skills that they can use and carry with them throughout their lives.”
Senior trainer Olivia Hicks, who has been in the program for two years, said she enjoyed training for football the most.
“It is so high energy,” Hicks said. “It’s really fun to get to move up and down the field.”
Senior Nayla Hernandez said that her time as a trainer would benefit her future.
“We get to help players out,” Hernandez said. “It gives us good experience and hands on learning. I am planning on becoming a nurse, and I feel like it’s good practice for later.”
Salas said he enjoyed being able to turn his athletes’ negative energy into good positive attitudes.
Senior trainer Maddalena Portillo said she has learned good skills from her time as a student trainer.
“I learned lots about time management, having to be at practice at certain times and how to communicate with trainers and players,” Portillo said. “I have also learned about taping, how to assist in CPR and stopping-the-bleed care.”
A second adult trainer Darrianne Smith, who is in her first year as a trainer, said she enjoyed being able to help out her students as much as she could.
“I try to teach as much as I can, and I really try to answer any questions they have,” Smith said. “I try to be the best example.”
Smith went to college with after experiencing training in high school.
“I had gotten a scholarship to go to New Mexico Junior College,” Smith said. “I really liked it, so I went with it.”
Salas said that becoming an athletic trainer wasn’t part of the plan he had for his future.
“When I went to our college new student orientation, I was set to pursue an ag business degree until I saw athletic training as a degree choice,” Salas said. “I chose it on a whim because of what I remembered from watching my past high school trainer.”
With any luck, Salas and Smith will have the same effect on student trainers in their care–luck that could one day make those students the teachers as well,” Salas said. “Whether that student wants to be a space engineer, nurse, athletic trainer or whatever their calling in life is; I want them to have experiences that mold them into wonderful human beings. I’m giving them opportunities and tasks to challenge them which will ultimately provide necessary growth.”
