TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District is shining a spotlight on some of the hardest working and most unsung members of the district’s athletic department by observing National Athletic Training Month during March. The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) created National Athletic Training Month to help recognize the often-overlooked health care professionals in the field of athletic training.
Athletic trainers are medical professionals who specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries that occur to athletes and the physically active. The Temple ISD athletic training program dates back to 1972 when Temple became one of the first districts in the state to employ its own athletic trainer. TISD now employees three staff athletic trainers in Windee Skrabanek – head athletic trainer, Mackenzie Lyon, and Stephanie McKeel. That staff teaches Sports Medicine courses and oversees a team of 25 athletic training students.
Together, the athletic trainers and athletic training students help take care of 1,544 athletes on the high school and middle school level across the district. Between the high school and middle schools, Temple ISD athletic trainers oversee daily care and injury prevention for student-athletes participating in 33 total sports on 96 total teams. Athletic trainers will staff more than 525 home events this year and also provide travel coverage for varsity football and playoff qualifying teams in every sport. The athletic trainers are often the first to arrive and the last to leave from practice and game day events. Athletic trainers attend practices and games, help athletes rehabilitate from injuries, keep athletes hydrated at practice and maintain equipment in addition to a host of other duties that often go unnoticed by most people outside of the athletic department.
The athletic training students (ATS) in TISD’s program work 15-20 hours a week and work with two sports a year. Many of those students are interested in careers in sports medicine or other medical fields and Skrabanek has seen multiple former students go on to successful careers based on the lessons learned as ATS and the students are gaining valuable experiences on and off the field. Temple High School is also recognized nationally as a Safe Sport School. The Safe Sport School Award recognizes secondary schools around the country that take the crucial steps to keep their athletes free from injuries.
“Athletic Training to me is not a job but a passion and a family,” said senior ATS Jordyn Valdez. “We are here to rehabilitate and prevent injuries for athletes but also be here for emotional support to always know that someone is there when something bad happens. This is my dream, so I take every chance I get to learn more in hope that someday this will be my profession.”
“Athletic training is not only about keeping sports safe, it is also about building relationships and bonds with the people around you,” said junior Ashley Huete. “This program has become my second home. I’ve made bonds with not only my fellow ATS, but also with the athletes that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
“Athletic training has helped me in all of the ways you can imagine,” said sophomore Kaytlynn Marek. “It has helped me in school by helping me achieve my goals in making good grades and maintaining those grades. It has also helped me personally because I’m always learning something new, whether it be a new life lesson, or something new in the classroom. Athletic training has also helped me socially and being able to make new friends.”
“To me, AT doesn’t just represent Athletic Training. It represents all of the hard work, long nights, early mornings, and the dedication that is put into keeping our athletes safe,” said freshman Izabella Johnson.
“Athletic trainers possess many valuable qualities. Along with emergency care, support, and trust, some of the other key qualities they embody include knowledge of injuries and expertise, communication, empathy, quick thinking and problem solving, physical endurance and strength, and attention to detail,” Skrabanek said. “These qualities, along with many others, makes athletic trainers essential in the world of sports, ensuring athletes’ health, safety, and optimal performance.”
The theme for this year’s National Athletic Trainers Month is “Champions in Health Care!” The TISD athletic training team will participate in several recognition events during the month and also competed in the “Trainer Olympics” at Georgetown High School on March 5th. Temple ISD competed against 33 schools and more than 425 student athletic trainers in that event. THS athletic trainers and ATS are selling NATM t-shirts to promote the program and have been recognizing the students and program through the department’s social media accounts throughout the month of March.