The past school year, Courtney Simpkins, the former athletic trainer, decided to step away from her job as the athletic trainer at Rockbridge. This left the school without a trainer this school year, and the position is yet to be filled.
Due to this, the coaches are left to fill the position as trainer during home games and rely on other schools’ trainers for away games.
Athletic director Anthony Marasco believes that not having an athletic trainer will be an issue because it places an extra burden on coaches and makes it more difficult for athletes who get injured.
“The effect that not having a trainer has on players is that with Courtney, especially in the past, kids can build a relationship with the trainer they feel comfortable going to her telling her about certain injuries that are happening, and now we have people that are coming it’s a different trainer each game and we don’t have trainers here on practice day, so they’re not really able to build that relationship with them,” Marasco said.
Marasco continued to talk about how not having a trainer can be an issue when athletes get injured.
“When athletes get hurt that may be the first time that they meet that trainer so it’s hard when sometimes especially if you have a major injury being able to trust the person who’s of assessing you and telling you that you have to come out of the game so I think that’s really hard on the athletes” Marasco said.
Marasco went on to explain how not having an athletic trainer makes the coaches’ jobs more difficult.
“As for coaches, they’re really having to serve as trainers at practice. And I just think that’s really hard, because as a coach, you have so many other things to focus on. To have to add on the fact that they have to also focus on the athletic training side of things makes it really hard on them. So I think coaches are doing a really good job, and they’re letting Travis and I know when injuries happen. But just overall, it sucks for everybody across the board,” Marasco said
Marasco concluded by describing what the high school is doing to try and hire a new athletic trainer.
“We’ve got the job posted but we just haven’t had any applicants yet. So right now we’re just kind of waiting and seeing. I’m hoping that at the end of the semester, when kids graduate their athletic training program in colleges, that maybe we might get somebody after winter break. But right now, I just don’t know,” Marasco said.
The issue of not having an athletic trainer can be a problem for athletes and coaches even when no one gets injured. Sophomore golfer Davis Welsh describes some of the inconveniences of not having a trainer.
“Our coach has to help out with injuries, which is difficult since it puts more stress on him and boosts his personal role. Although golf doesn’t have many injuries, overall our coach has a more important role in keeping us safe since Courtney is gone,” Davis said
For more information on the topic, see Athletic Director Anthony Marasco or Assistant Athletic Director Travis Rogers.
