Time flies genuinely and truly when you are having a good time. And I am genuinely and truly having a good time. I cannot believe it is already October and high school volleyball is close to an end and we are half way done with high school football. So many athletic trainers get stuck in a rut, doing the same rehab, making one too many ice bags, seeing the same athletes, watching the same monotonous football drills. In order for me to have fun and enjoy what I do on a daily basis I have learned that I need to challenge myself to do something new and think outside of the box. It pains me when a kid comes into treatment and says “Let me guess, straight leg raises?” Keep it fresh and challenge yourself with rehab…what else could a plyoball be good for besides core? Besides internal and external rotation, what shoulder exercises can be done with a theraband?
I have been a certified athletic trainer for only five years, but have already began to see that injuries are cyclical and that one body part will dominate your seasons. As of today, I am out of aircasts, boots, and crutches and have seen more ankle and fib injuries to last a lifetime. Last school year, we had nine shoulder surgeries plus several non-surgical injuries in various sports. If I wasn’t encouraged by wonderful professors at the start of my career to get creative, I might have hung myself with one of those therabands before I was done with that large group of gunslinger-wearing kiddos. But even then, I felt I had to do my homework to provide the very best medical care these students could get.
Not to be cliché, but learning shouldn’t end with graduation. If you don’t know what injury an athlete’s signs and symptoms are presenting, go back to the books and find it out. Don’t be too proud to say to an athlete “I don’t know, but I will find it out, or get you to someone who can.” I am convinced that the smartest people ask the most questions, are the most inquisitive. Our new group here is an awesome place to start. Those who need help, seek it out; I promise that we are all in this together.
1 comment:
I have to agree with Tiffany. Even though I am not directly involved with athletics anymore, I did get to travel this weekend with our soccer team. It's a nice refresher for me and a way that my students get to see my creativity with a hotel room and rehab. It reminded me of things that I do well and things that I still struggle with after 11 years.
I did learn one thing that I want to pass on though. I know that we all have the athletes that wear us down, always needing something or always having "something" wrong with them. Don't just write them off...give them some attention every once in a while. Being an outsider this past weekend, I didn't know that "she does this every game" so I took the time to make sure the athlete was okay and didn't really need my help. I think it made a huge difference in her mental status, which improved her performance. We will all agree that they can get old but don't leave them simmering on the back burner.
My 2 cents!
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