Aaron Johnson – Sports Editor
Sprained ankles, knee injuries, and the occasional ice bath. The training staff at Southern Connecticut State University does it all when it comes to dealing with the injuries of the athletes.
“It’s a busy job being an athletic trainer,” said Assistant Athletic Trainer Matt Almeida. “Long days. Long weeks. We typically try to go a day off a week, but there’s weeks when sometimes it’s tough because you’re trying to take care of the athletes.”
Stationed in the far corner of the Moore Field House lower level, the staff takes care of the all 17 men and women athletic programs at Southern. Definitely a difficult task for a staff of five or six people including only two full-time staff trainers.
“It’s tough.” Almeida said. “We’re basically understaffed in here with the amount of teams and athletes. It’s a very stressful job. But it’s something you have to love. It’s a passion. It is truly a passion.”
The athletic training staff is headed by Carol Nelson, who has been the head athletic trainer at Southern for 11 years. A position that she said comes with a lot of responsibilities both inside the training room and outside of the training room.
“As for me, being the head athletic trainer encompasses a lot of areas,” she said. “Not just taking care of student athletes. I am involved in institutional and NCAA drug testing, which occurs numerous times randomly during the academic year. I am also responsible for budgeting and ordering supplies that we use in our athletic training room. During the summer, I work with our team physician to get as many incoming freshmen/transfer athletes ready for the upcoming seasons by getting their orthopedic screenings and ImPact testing completed.”
However, the difficulties that have come with being slightly understaffed and dealing with the paperwork from the NCAA has done nothing to quell the passion and love that Nelson has for the field of athletic training and the relationships that are built with both players and coaches.
“Working the student athletes is, at times, challenging but also a lot of fun,” Nelson said. “We prep the athletes prior to practices and games, are in attendance at practices and home games, and rehab injured athletes. We also work very closely with the coaches to keep them up to speed as to the status of injured athletes. I work with the football team and travel when they are on the road for games. Men’s and women’s basketball are also accompanied by an athletic trainer during road games.”
But by being able to be there to share in the struggles of an athlete going through rehab, then the triumph of seeing that same athlete get back onto the field. Almeida said that by being in constant contact with the players on campus, a bond is formed that is simply to that of a family.
“It’s basically like family,” he said. “I like to get to know my athletes, [and it’s the] same thing with my coaches. You’re with them every day you see them every day. It’s like you’re a parent to these student-athletes. You get very close, especially when they get later in their seasons and later in their career. They’re like brothers and sisters.”
That bond along with a passion for being an athletic trainer is the perfect combination for the Southern Connecticut State University staff. Almeida said that when it comes to the staff, the love for the profession is what makes the long hours worth it.
“They’re always willing to help,” he said. “I like being around this environment. We’re always willing to help each other out.”
