For the past four years, Madison Collard ’16 has attended athletic practices and games, but not to play. As an athletic trainer, she helps players every week with any sort of injury, from taping sprains to CPR.

The Athletic Training program began in 1976 and has grown ever since. During the fall sports season, athletic training students go to all the football, volleyball, and soccer games, while at least one of the head athletic trainers attends all the games. It is beneficial for the athletes to always have athletic trainers on the scene in case of an injury, Collard said.

“It is a huge time commitment, but everybody who has made the commitment has not regretted it because they have been interested, they have been involved, and they like what they are doing,” Athletic Training Program sponsor and head trainer Kristine Vins said.

Vins spent all four years of her time at high school in LT’s athletic training program, and now is one of the head trainers that oversees the program. She teaches the new athletic training students and attends games with all the trainers.

The student athletic trainers are required to go to practices three days a week after school and go to all the games of their assigned sports. This time commitment is required so that all injuries can be treated.

“They are our eyes and ears, because we obviously can’t be everywhere at the same time,” Vins said.

Since the trainers have the medical skills necessary for injured players, they become a crucial part of sports at LT. They know the difference between an injury and an emergency, and are equipped with first aid kits and radios to call head trainers in case of an emergency.

“We’re there to help athletes be rehabilitated, which is the most important thing, so without us it’s hard for them to get quickly back into their game,” athletic trainer Grace Shine ’17 said.

With this great responsibility comes great pressure for the athletic trainers.

“It’s high pressure and you want to make sure you’re doing everything right, but you want to stay calm so everyone else stays calm,” Shine said.

Despite the pressure, athletic trainers continue to assist players. Shine, Collard and other student athletic trainers hope that this experience can lead them to future careers in medicine.

“If you want to go into the medical field, it’s a very hands on club and you will definitely never be bored,” Collard said. “There is always something going on.”

In the past few years the athletic training program has gained immense popularity. Usually there are 20 to 25 members in the program, but this year there are already 30 members and other students have shown interest in joining. Athletic trainers attend future freshman night and co-curricular night to get more new members and keep the program going. Vins attributes the program’s success to the students.

“They are so dedicated,” Vins said. “They put in so much work. I really feel like we wouldn’t be able to do half the things we do without them.”