College hires new athletic trainer to meet athletes' needs

Officials are gearing up to hire an additional $65,000 full-time athletic trainer to keep up with the health needs of the burgeoning number of student athletes.

"It's a big step in the right direction," said Susan Houlihan-Davis, the college's only full-time athletic trainer. "I am only Band-Aiding them because I'm on to the next table. When they need 20 minutes of treatment, they're only getting 10."

Sports advocates say that when it comes to college athletics, physicality is paramount. Athletic Director Mike Warren presented a case for a new athletic trainer at the Board of Trustee's Feb. 14 study session. The Board of Trustees apparently voted to approve the new position on Feb.28, although the position itself was not listed on the official agenda.

Sue Erhlich, Vice president of legal affairs and human resources, said Monday that instead, the board approved the measure under "an allocation of funds" item that was understood to be for the new position.

The search for a new athletic trainer began on Monday, and Warren indicated that it may take three to four weeks to gather qualified candidates for the position.

The college now has about 350 student athletes playing 17 sports, including cheerleading.

With today's athletes becoming more conscious of their bodies, the training room has become an extremely busy place. Houlihan-Davis said she often finds herself overloaded with athletes needing treatment.

"It's very upsetting to me because I'm a perfectionist," she said.

When Warren proposed the idea to the board, he cited the National Athletic Trainers Association's recommendation of having one full-time athletic trainer for every four teams.

"It's a health and safety issue," Warren said. "We're one of the only schools in our conference with just one [full-time athletic trainer]."

Houlihan-Davis' job consists of more than just treating athletes. She is also responsible for teaching her six student trainers the tricks of the trade, something that has become increasingly difficult with her complex schedule.

Adding another athletic trainer will allow for much more flexibility when it comes to providing the proper instruction to students, she said.

Warren's other argument for adding a second athletic trainer is liability. The Western State Conference has mandated that one certified athletic trainer must be available at certain home games, such as football or baseball. Because athletic venues on campus are spread out, one trainer cannot cover all events.

"Kids in general believe they are invulnerable, and athletes in my experience even more so," he said. "If athletes are worried about getting hurt, they wouldn't play. You build the right environment, and out of that environment will come competitive teams that conduct themselves the way they're supposed to and play hard."

Houlihan-Davis said she believes that a second athletic trainer will help her communicate with coaches more specifically about players' injuries and develop more effective treatments.

"I'm constantly forced to e-mail coaches or make phone calls," Houlihan-Davis said. "Being able to interact with the coaches will help us better understand what the players are doing.

"I couldn't be happier. It's been really hard on me, and when I can't help everyone, it really takes a toll on me."