Freedom Area High School's Student Newspaper

FHS Press

Freedom Area High School's Student Newspaper

FHS Press

Freedom Area High School's Student Newspaper

FHS Press

Unsung Heros on the Sidelines

Did you ever wonder who those girls are on the sideline with the football team at Friday night games? Taping, heating, icing and stretching out injuries for the football team are only a few of the requirements of the assistant athletic trainers. The assistant athletic trainers for the current football season are Seniors Emilee Handyside and Zoe Sayre and Sophomore Tina Davis. They are basically three miniature forms of Mr. Vince Sinovic running around. The purpose these girls serve is getting things done, like fixing minor injuries while Sinovic focuses on the more seriously injured players. These three girls can help hurt athletes and provide water more quickly. The girls put Biofreeze on athletes’ pains and injuries, which helps the football players in many ways with minor problems. If there is one thing Vince has taught them, it’s how to prevent and tackle injuries. “[Sinovic] has taught me a lot about the body and ligaments and bones,” Handyside said. This experience not only allows self-growth, but during the time of being an assistant athletic trainer learning is key, and it must be done from the beginning. The girls say that they basically “baby” the team. They get the players everything they need when they need it, and even stretch them when they’re cramping. “For [almost] two weeks straight we had to massage Lucas Yeck’s upper hamstring. We do basically what everyone else doesn’t want to do,” Sayre said. “They’re great girls; they are smart and intelligent and the training room cannot do without assistant trainers,” Sinovic said. He also said that they learn fast, and they come up with great ideas, which are things he believes it takes to be an outstanding assistant athletic trainer. Not only does Sinovic appreciate the work these three girls do, but so do the football players and coaches. Coach Guerra said that the girls’ assistance allows Sinovic to help with the more serious injuries. They keep the boys on the field and healthy. “I respect the fact that they could be spending their time doing so [many] other things,” Senior Captain Allan-Michael Conforti said, “but they don’t. They’re there every day for us.”