Prevention. Avoid Injury. Stay Active
Although sometimes unnoticed, Dallastown’s two athletic trainers support student athletes before, during, and after sporting events.
Ami Frederick (Left) and Laura Regener (Right) are Dallastown High School’s two athletic trainers
On any given game day there is a risk of getting hurt while playing a high school sport, and although many fans may not notice them, the athletic trainers are always there.
However, even though they are present for every game, not many people know what they actually do.
“As an athletic trainer, we provide tools to help prevent injury, first and foremost. Once an injury occurs, we evaluate and treat the injury, provide taping and/or bracing for support and help with rehabilitation and reintegration back to the sport,” Dallastown trainer Ami Frederick said. Frederick has been with the school for the past 8 years.
The schooling needed to become a certified athletic trainer is extensive with every-other-year testing just to maintain credibility.
Dallastown’s two athletic trainers had to “attend an accredited school majoring in athletic training. Athletic training is now a masters level degree. Once certified through the BOC, the national accrediting agency, you must maintain 50 continuing education credit hours every 2 years and must stay current in CPR/AED for the professional rescuer. 10 of the 50 hours must be evidenced based education,” Dallastown’s other athletic trainer Laura Regener said who has been with Dallastown for the past 23 years.
This is all before even becoming an athletic trainer and then, after getting the necessary degrees, trainers still have to take tests and stay current on the skills needed to maintain certification.
The BOC that Regener mentioned is the Board of Certification and the organization “establishes and regularly reviews both the standards for the practice of athletic training and the continuing education requirements for all athletic trainers.”
Becoming an athletic trainer is not only a difficult profession to become involved in, but it is also a difficult one to excel at.
The daily requirements that most people do not see can make the job so much harder than just taping a few injuries.
Frederick and Regener are responsible for injury prevention, concussion evaluations, injury rehabilitation, certain administrative duties, taping of certain injuries, good decision making skills and counseling on injuries and recovery time.
According to Frederick, “We develop professional relationships with the kids and can act as confidants when needed. We have many administrative duties as well, including the acquisition of physicals and ImPACT testing for all athletes, which is a major feat in itself.”
“I had a great experience. They were always there when I needed them. They were very patient with me and helped me with my injuries,” Sophomore Izzy Ream said.
Our athletic trainers also make sure that all of the safety requirements are met, including field safety. “We make sure that teams are off of the field if there is a lightning strike within a 10 mile radius and are off the field for a half hour after the last strike,” Frederick said.
Most Dallastown-student-athletes never even see our trainers except for ImPACT testing, although the ones that do should be grateful that we have two of the best to take care of them and get our athletes back up to game speed.
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