Unseen heroes
These guys don’t get the credit they deserve. The amount of the sacrifices they have to make is unbelievable. Having to be present for the late nights, early mornings, weekend practices, and dealing with stinky sweat is all a part of their job. With this job you get up close and personal with many student athletes, you become familiar with many different cultures, and build friendships that will last a lifetime. These people are athletic trainers. They save bones, careers, and relationships.
Ryan Weisenbeck, Head Athletic Trainer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is in his first year as an athletic trainer here at MC. Weisenbeck gained experience and developed his skills at the University of Wisconsin before moving his talents to the University of Utah. Weisenbeck is a seasoned trainer that has been put to the test early in his short career here at MC. He was on sight when Jacob Bunch, Maryville College freshman running back, had his ankle broken in a horrific way that ended his season early.
“Fans don’t realize that when athletes get hurt on the field, us trainers have to take care of them until they are able to return to action,” said Weisenbeck. “We evaluate the injury, and then make a plan for return. The physicality of the sport, positions, and the goals have to be set before the athlete can be cleared for play.
Co-Pilot in the office, athletic trainer David Montes from Miami, Florida gained experience at his first job at East Tennessee State University before transferring to Maryville College. Montes has been at MC for 4 years, witnessing plenty of injuries while managing sports such as basketball, cross-country, and soccer. My favorite part of being an athletic trainer is the relationships, helping athletes with post injury recovery, and the fact that I am still around sports on a daily basis,” said Montes.
Montes found his love for athletic training in high school when he needed volunteer hours for his class, so he decided to volunteer with his high school athletic trainer and liked it. Montes thought he had interest in physical therapy but once he actively volunteered with his school’s athletic training program he found his passion!
The Head Student Trainer, Morgan Corland is from Clarksville, Tennessee, and has 3 years of experience in the training room. Corland is a senior pitcher on the girls’ softball team. Last year, she helped lead the Scots to a playoff appearance.
She plans to attend graduate school at Austin Peay State University and eventually become a Head Athletic Trainer at another institution. Corland notes that her favorite part of being in the training room is her ability to help athletes recover to play again and progress in their sport.
Trust is valuable to Corland and she feels honored when athletes choose her for specific aids and ask her to do certain tasks. Corland also adds that working in the training room has taught her valuable life lessons. She uses her experience in the training room in her everyday life. She relates the knowledge from all of her encounters with athletes to multiple areas of life.
All of these unseen heroes do more than people can imagine. They don’t get the credit they deserve for all of the miracles they pull off. They save many athletes’ careers and through that, they build lifetime friendships.