The Truth Behind Sitting Around
In honor of March being National Athletic Training Month—this post goes out to all the ATs, grinding it out every day. I get YOU. I am YOU!
If you've been a part of my career for the past decade or so, you may have a greater appreciation for athletic trainers than the average spectator. Hell—most people still have no idea who we are or what we do, just know that we exist. Believe me, I get it. We are kind of the red-headed step child when it comes to health care professionals. The role we play is unique and often times misunderstood. As a matter of fact, it's highly likely that every time you see me, I'm just sitting around—not doing a damn thing. That's pretty atypical of a health care provider. Is it not? If you're lucky though, you might catch me taping or stretching an athlete, or possibly even dealing with a nosebleed. Whew—lots of excitement! Yeah, I wish that was it!
I'm going to allow you in my shoes for a few moments, but don't get scared or run away. I promise it's an incredibly rewarding profession. Let me start with the obvious—the sitting around part, especially since we're in the midst of basketball season and you will indeed find my butt sitting in a chair. I even have a pretty darn good Bernie pose, if you must know.
It's roughly 7:30 pm. The National Anthem has just finished playing, and the starting line-ups are being announced. Everyone is getting excited. Fans are cheering and clapping. The athletes and coaches are getting hyped up. What is the AT doing? I can't answer for everyone, but I can tell you what I am doing, besides occupying my designated chair.
As I take my seat, my mind is racing. Just as it always does. It's not out of fear or worry. But rather mental imagery. The same thing good athletes do as prep. If you pay close attention—although I don't know why you would, you might catch me scanning the crowd or looking toward all the exits in the gym. Weird—I know. Why in the world am I doing this? Well, I'm making sure the exits are clear and easily accessible and also making note of people present. In addition, I'm going over various scenarios in my head—everything from having a major injury that requires I utilize my emergency skills to figuring out the quickest way to get my athletes to safety in the event something unexpected happens. This may not be the case for every AT—but it is for me. I'm generally a pretty vigilant person and like to be aware of my surroundings at all times, regardless of location. So naturally it carries over into my work. I've also had my fair share of emergent situations and I prefer they play out as smoothly as possible. This is real, people. This is my pre-game ritual. To you and everyone else, it looks like I'm doing nothing while sitting in that chair. And for all practical purposes that is true. The wheels turning on the inside however, tell a much different narrative.
When I'm not sitting around in the gym for a game, I can be found at my desk—again sitting around, just out of plain sight this time. I'm catching up on paperwork. I'm following up with injuries. I'm creating rehab plans. I'm discussing plans of care with coaches, parents, athletes. I might even be shoving a quick meal down my throat before the next person needs me. I can't tell you how many times I'm mid-bite and a kid comes in and says, "hey, can you tape me? or "so and so needs you". I don't even re-heat leftovers anymore—it's pointless.
Although my job description clearly outlines my duties and responsibilities as dealing with injuries—I can assure you, on any given day, I wear a hat I've never worn before. What exactly do I mean by that? It means I play roles that I was never trained in. Baptism by fire, baby!!
I have laughed with my athletes. I have cried with my athletes. I have hugged and comforted my athletes. I have had long, uncomfortable conversations with my athletes. I have watched my athletes grow from immature kids into amazing human beings. That's the easy stuff!
I have also talked countless athletes out of doing something they might regret forever. I've discussed the dangers of alcohol and drugs—without being a preachy parent. I know kids don't respond to that. I also know that many of my athletes respect me and value what I have to say. They know I care deeply about them and their well-being. I have attended funerals of my athletes. Gosh—talk about hard! I have talked kids off the ledge on more occasions than I prefer to admit. But if it takes me to be the one—I will do it over and over again! I have given advice—on relationships, family matters, challenging situations. You name it—I've likely dealt with it. I have helped with scholarships, with homework, with tutoring, etc. I want my athletes to excel. In everything they do. I want them to realize their potential—then reach it and exceed it. If I can influence that in any way, you better believe I'm involved. I have given kids money so they could enjoy a pre-game meal with their teammates, because everyone deserves to be a part of that. The list goes on, but you get the point. Never once did I mention treating an injury, even though that's why I was hired! I do take care of a lot of injuries too.
And although I hate to admit this, I have lost endless hours of sleep and tears over the years. I beat myself up when I miss an injury or can't figure something out. It eats at me. I will stay up all night researching until I can find the answer. My demeanor however, will rarely reveal any bit of emotion, but believe me, there have been times where I struggled to keep myself together. The stress and anxiety of putting a kid in the back of a helicopter or not knowing if a kid will ever walk again—is like none other! There have been plenty of those situations to go around. Those are times I wish I was just sitting around.
I save the waterworks for my drive home. It's my time to decompress and let out the stress, anxiety, sadness and everything else that takes up unwanted headspace. But I accept it. I accept the challenge of being an AT. It requires thick skin and an unyielding passion because some days are rough. In my eyes, I'm there to take care of my athletes, regardless of their need. People often say, "don't take work home". I agree with that statement to a degree. I leave my paperwork at work, which I used to bring home. I stopped doing that. But asking me to stop loving and caring about my athletes once I walk out of that school building, is crazy! It's not possible. That comes home with me—every. single. night. How can it not? I will always answer that text message and accept that phone call from a worried parent, even late at night. It's happened many times. It's nice to know I am trusted and my expertise is valued.
I know this may seem like a brag post which is not my intention. Trust me, it’s not my M.O. I don't really need you to know what I do. I know what I do and that’s good enough for me. Furthermore, I am a deeply personal individual and rarely share insight into my life or career, besides fringe comments and pictures of my dogs on social media—unless of course, you're following my blog journey. And if I’m being completely honest, I didn't want to delve this deep. I typed and re-typed and deleted many times over. But in order to fully appreciate what an AT does on a daily basis, besides just keeping a chair warm, it was necessary for me to dig in to the sensitive and uncomfortable stuff. Take it for what it's worth. If you know an athletic trainer but don't quite understand what they do—hopefully now you have a better idea.
We don’t just tape. We don’t just stretch. We don’t just fill water bottles. We don’t just wrap ice bags. We don’t just hand out band-aids. We don’t just do rehab. We don’t just evaluate injuries. And most importantly—we don’t just sit around. Get to know an AT! Don't count them out because you only see them sitting around. I can promise you they are impacting lives on a level you would never realize. I have so much more I can share, but I think I’ve proven my case.
Do you think when I signed up for this profession, I knew exactly what I was agreeing to? Heck no! But I wouldn't change it for the world. Maybe the hours, parents screaming at me and sometimes hectic schedules—but that's it! If you know an AT that has made an impact on you or your life, be sure to reach out and thank them.
One of my greatest moments up to this point as an AT—was a 17 year old kid coming up to me after his final football game, giving me a big hug while crying on my shoulder, thanking me, telling me how much he loved and appreciated me, and stating, "you have impacted my life more than you'll ever know"! That, folks, is precisely why I do what I do! Next time you see me sitting around at a game—just know that's a good day. A really good day. I wish that was every day, but it's not! The emotional rollercoaster that comes along with being an AT is tough, but so worth it.
To any AT reading this—keep doing what you do. People don't get it, but your kiddos do. They love and appreciate you! If they don't—you're doing something wrong. Get to know them. Be part of their lives. It's so important. Even when it feels like they don't appreciate you, I promise you they do. Some will even tell you and it will melt your heart!