This school year Ross has been blessed with two new athletic trainers, Mrs. Abigail Mathews and Mr. Ethan Sellers. Athletic trainers go to our home sports events in case of any emergencies or injuries, help athletes recover from injuries, and are there for any student who needs help or support. These trainers have big roles in athletics and our schools.

Mathews was the first trainer to join the Ross community. Mathews went to school at Lakota East and had a love for soccer. She suffered her first injury, an ankle sprain, in eighth grade. Going through therapy after her injury, she met her athletic trainer, Corey Jacobs. While going through her first injury and meeting Jacobs, she grew to love the field of athletic training. Mathews’ sister went to school for athletic training as well. So, she looked up to both her sister and athletic trainer and decided she loved it so much that she became one, too.

Being an athletic trainer has a lot to do with sports and injuries, but for our trainers, it also deals with giving students the safe space and emotional support they need. Our trainers are open to any student who needs help with something, has a bad day, or just needs a hug.

Mathews stated, the most important thing about her job was, “… keeping kids safe, as safe as you can, whether that be preventing injury or even dealing with an injury but I think it’s also important that you build relationships with your athletes, in a professional manner, obviously. You want to have a good rapport with them so that they trust you to come in and tell you about their injuries and all that stuff or even if they had a bad test that day and they need [SIC] a shoulder to cry on or anything like that. I think that’s also super important.”

Sellers was the second trainer to join the athletic training family. Sellers also grew up as an athlete. He played baseball and basketball throughout high school. When Sellers went to college, he didn’t know what he wanted to major in, so he looked at all the majors he could take and decided on athletic training. He did not want to have a desk job or something like that. Sellers wanted a job where he could be outside doing more things than sitting at a desk all day, which made athletic training the perfect job for him.

Just like Mathews, one of Sellers’ favorite parts of his job is being with the students through all that they go through. More specifically, Sellers loves being able to help athletes recover from injuries and get back to playing their sport to their top ability. 

Sellers stated, he’s most excited about, “… getting to know the rest of the Ross community. You know, I just kind of gotten to see the fall coaches and some of the fall kids. So seeing the rest of the sports and kind of having people see me more, I think, is what’s exciting ….”

This school year is just getting started. Sports like football and volleyball are already in full swing, but there is a lot more to be excited about as the year progresses.  Mathews and Sellers are at all sporting events after school or in their office in the athletic training room. 

Mathews and Sellers are vital to our sports. Trainers are always helping out students and athletes and make a big difference. Some students even prefer them over doctors for their injuries.

Junior Colby Adams stated, “… a huge advantage was having it (rehab) at school for free instead of having to pay for it somewhere else ….”

These trainers are going to be a big help and blessing to our sports this year and hopefully many more to come. Baseball, softball, and boys tennis are just a few sports that are rapidly approaching. Mathews and Sellers are already very excited for what is to come this school year.