Athletic trainers the backbone of area sports teams

About the only time athletic trainers are noticed by most high school sports fans is when they run onto the field or court after an athlete suffers an injury.

“That’s probably about 1% of our job,” 10-year Wooster trainer Wayne Gerick said.

The remaining 99% of what trainers do would make your head spin.

Ask those in the know, like athletic directors or coaches, and they’ll say athletic trainers are the unsung heroes of high school sports.

A trainer’s job includes attending as many games and practices as possible. First and foremost, they take the liability off the coaches as the first trained medical professional on the scene if an injury happens.

Trainers also take on an array of other responsibilities such as determining if an athlete is injured or just sore, concussion evaluations, rehab and return-to-play decisions, and helping athletes and their families navigate the healthcare system much more efficiently.

Everyday tasks can include things like providing stretching, nutrition and hydration tips; taping ankles and other body parts; and forming bonds with athletes and coaches.

“I don’t think most people know how many different things athletic trainers are involved in,” said Audrey Zuercher, Orrville’s seventh-year athletic director and the school’s athletic trainer from 2004-15. “Athletic trainers aren’t going out there looking for fame.

“They’re not in the newspaper. They’re kind of there quietly in the background, and sometimes it feels like the athletic trainers are the band-aid holding people together.”

Athletic trainers from The Bargain Hunter/Wooster Weekly News coverage area include Wooster’s Gerick, West Holmes’ Courtney Shaffer, Hiland’s Zane Shuss, Smithville’s Nikki Petricola, Triway’s Brandon Giles, Orrville’s Char Wichman, Dalton’s Aleah Neuenschwander and Waynedale’s Megan Warne.

Not only are ATs invaluable, but also they’re becoming harder and harder to find.

“A couple of years ago, they switched athletic training into a master’s program, and then a lot of schools didn’t get their master’s curriculum approved,” Shaffer said. “So now a lot of the programs shut down.

“We don’t have enough programs and students to really keep up with the demand. And then we put in a lot of hours, in kind of an unsung hero job. We work pretty much second-shift hours and are the first ones here and last ones to leave.”

Shaffer works a day job 30-35 hours per week as a physical therapy assistant for Wooster Community Hospital. Then she serves as the trainer at West Holmes or fills in at The College of Wooster because there’s such a shortage.

“When there are multiple events going on during the same day, The COW needs more than one trainer to cover,” Shaffer said. “At the high school level, it’s not uncommon to have volleyball, soccer and freshman or middle school football going on all on the same day. I usually spend those days running back and forth to all the events.”

Shaffer’s husband, Trent Shaffer, is an assistant football coach for the Knights, and their son, Tevin, is a water boy.

The Shaffers have found a way to make the busy schedule work to the delight of head football coach Zach Gardner, whose team is 7-0.

“We’ve been blessed to have Trent join our coaching staff, but I joke with him all the time that the biggest gift that we got in that transaction was getting Courtney as our trainer,” Gardner said. “She is absolutely phenomenal.

“She’s like having another coach out there with the way that she treats kids and deals with them physically and emotionally. It is a dream to have a trainer like that, and she is a huge part of our success.”

Gerick juggles trainer responsibilities for all 27 of Wooster High School’s varsity sports teams, as well as helping Edgewood Middle School.

“There have been multiple times where I’m dealing with an injury on the field and my phone is ringing from someone at another of our team’s events elsewhere,” Gerick said.

Gerick, a Northwestern graduate, is contracted full-time through Wooster Community Hospital and averages between 55-70 hours a week.

“The pay doesn’t equal the amount of hours we’re putting out there, and sometimes some people might forget how much we actually have to do,” Gerick said. “With high school football, we might get back from an away game at 11:30 or midnight. Then we turn around and are back at the school at 7 a.m. for injury checks and treatments and then put in another full day working with several sports.

“I love the kids, though, and that’s why I do it. It’s just very rewarding to develop a relationship with them, see them mature and develop as athletes, and turn into young adults.”

Neuenschwander is one of the area’s longest-tenured trainers, working for Dalton since 2007. She’s contracted through Aultman Orrville Hospital.

“Some of our local ATs are hired directly by their school while others work as outreach ATs employed by hospitals,” she said.

Neuenschwander pointed out more duties an AT takes on.

“ATs are also required to assist in managing emergent medical issues such as diabetic episodes, sudden cardiac events, lightning injury and heat illness, to name a few,” she said.

Shuss is in his seventh year as Hiland’s AT and is contracted through Pomerene Hospital.

“Being that (Hiland) doesn’t have football, I probably average about 10-12 hours per week,” Shuss said. “I enjoy helping people. Athletic training gives me the unique opportunity to help people of all ages, and I love to see everyone get back to what they love doing.”

Wichman, an Akron Hoban alum, is one of the newest members on the area’s AT scene, but Zuercher said Orrville is lucky to have her.

The Riders’ first-year trainer previously worked with the San Francisco Giants Minor League system and was at Vermilion High School before coming to Orrville.

“My love for athletics and assisting people has kept me in this field for five years now,” Wichman said. “I have worked hard to become someone who builds relationships well.”

Athletic trainers are arguably the most overlooked, under-appreciated members of a high school program, but it appears student-athletes in this area are in capable hands.

The ATs deserve some applause next time you see them. They’ve certainly earned it.

Aaron Dorksen can be emailed atAaronDorksen24@gmail.com.