Sports Medicine offers more than just in-class, vocational training – those who participate in the advanced period also get to experience real-life settings where they can apply their skills to diverse situations. One can almost always spot a group of Sports Med. students, clad in their forest-green windbreakers, enthusiastically cheering at a game. Countless athletes have been helped through their aid, and many feel that just having the presence of the students on the sidelines, ready to give them water or assist with a sprain, is an immense comfort.

Freshman Katelyn Machado, a basketball player, details her positive experience with Sports Med. students and how they affect the atmosphere of the crowd.

“There’s been a few injuries that they’ve helped on and they always give us water and stuff like that. One of my teammates hurt her thumb, and they taped it for the game. They’re really quick to the injury to help out. They’re especially loud with cheering and they’re really supportive,” said Machado.

One student experienced the support of sports med when faced with a critical injury during a wrestling match. Sophomore Caleb Wood, a wrestler,  endured a cut to his head, and he reflects that sports med made a significant difference on his recovery.

“I got injured recently, and I cut my head. He helped me bandage it up. He [a cleaned it up, and he checked in on me the next meet also, so that’s cool. My head [injury] was pretty big–there was a one-inch gash on my head, and I was bleeding a lot. Also at other meets I’ve seen them help with broken bones. They don’t really do the broken stuff, but they still try and help,” said Wood.

Though Sports Med. doesn’t deal with serious injuries often, they do help with the prevention of such wounds by stretching out the players before and during games, wrapping up painful ligaments, and keeping a watchful eye on the game in case of an emergency. Likewise, the class of sports med provides refreshments and applause along the sidelines of each game.

Ultimately, Sports Med. has a pivotal presence on and off the field, on and off the court, and around school. Whether they are studying anatomy inside their classroom or cleaning and bandaging up a player, the sports med class is learning, prospering, and helping one stitch at a time.