Jacob Harden – staff writer
When a student at Foothill gets injured, where do they go to seek help? Meet Mrs. Ramirez, Foothill High School’s new athletic trainer.
A common misconception about being an athletic trainer is that they work as a mentor to help better the players in the sport. Instead, an athletic trainer is a professional in the Sports Medicine field who practices helping injured athletes.
The athletic trainer at Foothill is very passionate about her job, with past experiences shaping her interest in the medical profession. She explained, “I grew up playing sports and had good relationships with the athletic trainers that worked with me, and they gave me great insight into the profession of athletic training. I also love hanging out with teams at practices and having a great view of the games from the sidelines/dugouts.”
Our athletic trainer carries many responsibilities for the student-athletes on campus. When asked, Mrs. Ramirez said, “As an athletic trainer, I’m responsible for evaluating injuries, providing first aid, implementing rehabilitation programs for injured athletes, developing injury prevention programs, and providing communication between the athlete, physician, coach, and the athlete’s family about any injuries or updates on the athlete.”
Ramirez performs a variety of tasks throughout the day to help students at Foothill. “Taping kids and doing an injury evaluation are the top two things I do daily.” Taping refers to a practice where the tape is applied to keep the bone and muscle together at the injured location.
Not everything about Ramirez’s job is easy, and some parts of her job are complex. But, according to her, the most difficult situations are those in which she’s needed everywhere by everyone. “Since I’m just one person, I need to manage where I am and communicate with the coaches my location and the best way to contact me if I’m needed.”
If you need to find Ramirez’s classroom, it is pretty conveniently located next to the football field. She typically arrives at school at noon every day, well before student-athletes go to practice.
Our athletic trainer is our primary injury professional on campus. Next time you or another fellow student-athlete gets an injury, Mrs. Ramirez is your best bet.