Athletic Trainers Keep Students Healthy

“It’s our job to keep student-athletes healthy. But we’re not just here for the athletes,” says Larry Fitzpatrick, “We’re here for all students who want to learn more about leading a healthy lifestyle. We promote health and wellness to the whole Milton community.”

Larry and his team, which includes Sara Burnham and Stephen Darling, teach health classes, strength and training, and injury prevention for athletes, and perform physical therapy as required.
“This year, with the help of a third athleic trainer, Stephen, we’ve been able to implement a new strength and conditioning program for athletes. It begins with dynamic warm-ups and ballistic stretching that enhance athletic performance.

“Research tells us that this kind of program significantly minimizes athletic injuries. And the feedback from coaches this year has been phenomenal,” Larry says. “Now, our coaches can focus on strategy. They can look more closely at the X’s and O’s and figure out how to win the game.”
Here are some basic tips that, combined with strength and flexibility conditioning, help keep athletes, and others, fit to win:

• Make gradual increases in exercise length and intensity. Most injuries are caused by sudden increases in exercise.
  
• Take rest days. Resting between training, or exercising on alternate days, is a great tactic for avoiding injury.
  
• Eat well. Obviously, you should eat a well-balanced, varied diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products or other sources of calcium, and red meat or other sources of iron and protein.
  
• Vary your exercise routine. Research suggests that varying your exercise program is a great way to reduce injury risks. “For athletes, we do whatever we can to improve overall ability and allow them to reach their full potential. Other students can come to us to discuss nutrition or how to begin an exercise program,” Larry says. “We ask kids to commit to any new program for six weeks. Throughout that period, we check in with them three or four time a week to track them and adjust their programs as needed. Usually, at the end of six weeks, they are hooked; they’ve successfully made a lifestyle change.”

Larry and his team divide their time between training and rehabilitating athletes; attending games and tending to the athletes there; teaching classes in health, nutrition and fitness concepts; and working with the larger community to promote health and wellness awareness.

“In some ways, I think of us as an extension of the counseling center,” Larry says. “We don’t give out grades. We don’t pick kids for the starting team.

“What we have is a lot of one-on-one contact. When students come to us because they are injured or need some other guidance, we can motivate and challenge them. We teach them that attitude is a choice.”