The Student News Site of University Prep

The Puma Press

The Student News Site of University Prep

The Puma Press

The Student News Site of University Prep

The Puma Press

Our Very Own Sports Savior

Our+Very+Own+Sports+Savior

Getting to know University Prep’s first-ever athletic trainer Hannah Hames

The fall of 2014, multiple athletes got concussions, and one particular injury was extremely bad for a girl’s varsity soccer player. The bad injuries resulted in multiple athletes being sidelined for all of fall season. With injuries building up it was time for something to done, as the school year of 2015 approached Athletic Director Rebecca Moe brought in University Prep’s first ever Athletic Trainer Hannah Hames. Hames was brought in to treat injuries and takes pressure off of the coaches.

Hames is part of the ‘Athletic Trainers Program’ which contracts with 27 different highschools to provide athletic trainers.

“At Children’s [Hospital] I was hired into the Athletic Training Program in 2015, which was my first job after graduate school and it was through the hospital they set me up working at UPrep,” Hames said.

“A couple of other peer schools had contracted with Children’s Hospital so I put together a proposal for Mr. Jaffe and Mr. Levinson.” Moe said.

Hames believes that she’s had a big impact on the school. Before Hames, there was never any baseline concussion testing, or a medical professional at the school to assist with immediate injury care and assistance.

Hames loves keeping kids healthy and watching the games, but she believes the best part piece of her job is actually getting to know everyone and be a part of the various sports teams. “I  really enjoy getting to be a small part of the sports teams here at UPrep and getting to know each student over the course of the sports season; whether that’s helping them to get healthy after an injury or just a consistent warm hello every day,” she said.

Students have been extremely happy with Hames’ assistance and presence on and off the field. Junior Will Napier has found her essential to being able to compete. “She saved my cross country season. I had an injury that was making it extremely hard to run, but because of [Hames] I was able to run my best race,” Napier said.

Junior Emily Weintraub is a outside back for Varsity Girls Soccer, and thinks that having an athletic trainer has been very beneficial for her and her teammates. “She knows exactly what to do for every injury.” Weintraub said, “When I had a sprained ankle I came in everyday before practices or games and she would tape it for me.”

Hames’ expertise extends far past taping ankles and applying ice. “After a couple of weeks of my ankle not getting better she started having me do therapy exercises, and after doing them it would feel fine again,” Weintraub said.

Students aren’t the only ones who believe Hames has made a big impact on the school’s athletic environment; according to Moe, having a trainer makes a big difference for coaches as well. “It’s been a game changer for the coaches. Obviously they would help with injuries when needed, but at the same time they don’t want to be the ones who have to wash the blood out of your jersey, or tape your ankles. With a trainer everybody wins,” Moe said

By Melissa Funes