By Tibebe Gebiso and Gaurav Bhanot
While they operate behind the scenes, athletic trainers are key in an athlete’s world. Marjorie Franke and Deanna Nansel, T.C.’s trainers, always take care of students in their athletic training room in every season. However, they are not the only ones providing support for athletes. Athletic training student aides have a vital role in the athletes’ everyday athletic room visits. The two aides are Chelsea Gueverra and Selam Joseph.
Gueverra and Joseph work with the athletic trainers throughout the winter season. Students first complete an application for the position. The application requires students to describe past experiences and their motivations for becoming aides. It also requires three recommendations from any ACPS faculty member. After applying, students must jump right into the flow of the athletic training room. “I took probably a couple of weeks [to get fully adjusted],” Joseph said. Unlike Joseph, Gueverra has a background in helping athletes as she was the manager for the football team.
Working as an Athletic Training Student Aide involves being with the athletic trainers on a constant basis. Gueverra said, “We always follow them wherever they go. We do as much as we are allowed to, wherever they are we are.” While they are very dedicated to trainer, they do not necessarily want to become trainers in the future. Joseph said, “probably not, because it’s just a lot to remember.” Gueverra said, “I know if I don’t want to do athletic training I would still want to go into the medical field, which is why I did this program in the first place.”
The aides’ schedule requires them to work three times a week. At least one day of the week they stay roughly seven hours to help the Athletic Trainers with the basketball games. With this rigorous schedule, aides maintain their grades by using their two free days to focus on their academics. Both Gueverra and Joseph provide a concrete foundation for the athletic community by supporting the trainers with the little but vital things. “Everyday we run down through a checklist which includes checking the hydrocollator where the heat packs are located, file paperwork, and make ice cups,” said Gueverra. On game days, they help by distributing water to teams, setting up tables, ice chest, and tape for the athletes to use in game.
Overall, the athletic training student aides are key to the functions of the athletic room, whether it be preparing equipment to being on the scene right next to the athletic trainers. Although they are not certified to clear an athlete, they assist the certified [athletic] trainers as their go-to assistants.