SPORTS EDITOR – OTONIEL GONZALEZ
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON FEB 2, 2023
Over the past few years, sports fans have demanded more. With every passing year, that desire for more keeps growing. During the pandemic, they discovered that sports are an escape route that many use to distract themselves and forget about their problems or to find a small space of happiness in the middle of chaos. All the companies that benefit from the sports and entertainment industries are interested in increasing the amount and quality of competition with the purpose of generating more profits, and as a result, generating even more money for themselves. As these money- making machines work without rest, the ones who suffer the consequences the most are the athletes.
Increasing the number of competitions means increasing the number of matches, which requires an even higher physical effort from the players. This increase in stress creates a wave of injuries that affect all sports, especially soccer. Many players have missed important dates, such as the 2022 Qatar World Cup, because their bodies could not keep up. The news keep piling up cases in which athletes retire because their bodies can’t resist. For example, Rafael Nadal, who is considered by many as the greatest tennis player to walk the earth, has had a frequently interrumpted carrer because of his injuries. Nowadays, to be competitive in all aspects of the game, having excellent physical condition has become the most critical trait an athlete should possess. Without good physical preparation, keeping a high level of performance becomes impossible. The athletic trainer is always behind the scenes making sure everything goes on perfectly, but their job is highly unappreciated. They ensure each athlete remains at the peak of their physical condition to perform to the best of their abilities.
At St. Mary’s University, a team of three led by Marie Ricks, Kelly Krivulca, and Kira Pena helps all the teams. Ricks mentioned, “like most athletic trainers, the reason I became an athletic trainer was to help people.” Athletic trainers usually don’t get appreciated, but they are truly helping many people and athletes, just in a different way. According to Ricks, the main job of the athletic trainer is “walking the athlete through an injury from beginning to end.” Ricks shared that it is “hard at times, but once you establish and speak to them about their injury, the athlete knows what they need to do.” The athletic trainer is supposed to help and guide athletes, not do the recovery process for them. The types of injuries vary depending on the sport. Baseball players typically get injured on the upper body, like the shoulders, while soccer players are more likely to get injuries on the lower body. But, as Ricks mentioned, “at the end of the day, an injury is an injury.”
Like many careers, the best aspect of being an athletic trainer can also be the most challenging. Ricks shared that the best part is to “see an athlete going from injured to full capacity.” Ricks also shared that to have “the opportunity to watch them change their attitude, posture and self-being through the process is rewarding.” However, “seeing an athlete not being able to overcome it is the hardest part.” It can go both ways. The athletic trainers also impact the game with simple actions. Ricks explained that the athletic trainer “can be cheerleaders; they keep the athletes on a positive mindset and keep them healthy.” In other activities like bringing them water, helping them through rehab and preparing ice baths, they do the work behind the scenes without looking for recognition. It is time to appreciate their work and put value on what they do since they are the ones who keep the show running.