You know those people who stand with the football team on Friday Nights in khakis, holding water and running out onto the field when someone is injured? Those are your athletic trainers, and that’s only some of what we do. From helping injured athletes with rehab to taping people before practices and games, icing after practices, and ensuring athletes are hydrated. Our athletic trainers do so much more than you think to ensure that the weather conditions are safe to practice in.

This fall, we have four student athletic trainers: me(Lexi Herbst), Mallory Jewks, Melania Buraya, and Sean Nalls, who assist the two certified athletic trainers, Chrishaun Morgan and Alyssa Bolno. We are out at every single football practice, both middle school and varsity, along with every varsity football game, both home and away, and every single home game between middle and upper school. The students spend the time that they aren’t on the field learning new skills like taping for anything like ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, and more, along with operating machines to help with pre and post-practice treatment, and other skills for assisting athletes in healing and preventing injuries.

Chrishaun Morgan has been working at Walker since 2021. She started as an assistant athletic trainer and became a co-head athletic trainer with Alyssa Bolno when she joined the program last year. Chrishaun said her favorite part of being an athletic trainer at Walker is “Watching all the teams grow and improve. Also, seeing athletes come back from injuries, get their confidence back, and excel in their sport.” Alyssa said, “I enjoy being able to help athletes return to the sport they enjoy following an injury. The atmosphere and interprofessional collaboration that can occur here, such as working with strength and conditioning along with Peachtree Orthopedics.”

A typical afternoon for us starts right after school ends when we head straight to the athletic training room downstairs in Coles; we try to get there before 3:30. The student who is in charge of rehab for the day assists the head trainers with that while the others start filling up the ice towel bucket, injury ice, and water bottles before heading outside. On days that the training room is busy, some students setting up for practice might tape a few people quickly. Once out for football, we ensure that we have the AED and big kit outside that is filled with anything we might need during practice. On hot and sunny days, we set up misting fans and/or a tent to keep the players cool during breaks. Football practice usually lasts from 3:45-6:15 most days of the week. While on the field, we ensure the football players stay hydrated, treat athletes, both football and not, with conditions and injuries, and report everything to Chrishaun and Alyssa. At the end of football, we send one student in to help with post-practice treatments while everyone else takes down and puts away our supplies. As our day ends, we check to ensure everything is stocked and ready for the next day. We head home any time from 6:20-7:00. When there are home games during the week, like softball, volleyball, and middle school football, one of our students and either Chrishaun or Alyssa will be there to ensure everyone stays safe.