In addition to cheerleaders and the band, student athletic trainers help support the school’s sports teams by working along the sidelines with the school’s professional athletic trainers.
Student trainers do everything from give players water at games to assisting with minor injuries. They help out at football games in the fall, wrestling matches and basketball games in the winter, and lacrosse games in the spring. The experience helps student trainers learn about sports medicine and gain firsthand experience with the school’s professional athletic trainers as mentors.
“I tape the players, any cuts and stuff that they have,” student athletic trainer and senior Pebbles Chestnut said.
She said her interest in pursuing a career in sports medicine helped her decide to become a trainer.
“I just thought it would be fun and I was interested in doing it in college, so I figured I might as well go ahead and start, and see how it is,” Pebbles said.
Socastee offers a class in sports medicine, but it is not required for trainers. Those interested simply need to talk to athletic trainers Ms. Laura Smoak or Mr. Jason Keesee, then they get trained on the job at football practices.
“All you have to do is show up to football practice, and have a lot of time in your schedule,” student athletic trainer and senior Nihoma Heryadi said. “In order to train at the game you have to go to two football practices; once those two practices are done, then you can go to a football game.”
The training student athletic trainers receive is valuable not only in sports but for life, Ms. Smoak said.
“It helps them get ready for whatever medical career or whatever they want to do after high school,” she said.
This year, eight students are working as athletic trainers.
“We’d like to have even more,” Ms. Smoak said.
