HANK WICKLEY
SPORTS WRITER
This past July, Brad Smith was promoted to Head Athletic Trainer. With this position, Smith is now responsible for overseeing all activities in the athletic training room.
After working at Alma for a year as an assistant athletic trainer, Smith was excited for the opportunity to take over.
“Being named as the Head Athletic Trainer was a thrilling moment, and being able to continue working with the Alma College staff and students is very exciting.”
The athletic training room is more than just a place for athletes to stretch out; they also have access to injury assessment and therapy.
“We do injury evaluations, rehabilitations including post injury, presurgical, and post-surgical, recovery and therapeutic treatments,” said Smith.
Each student athlete is different and thus has different needs, said Smith, and depending on each specific injury, the training room has anything one might need. These different opportunities for recovery are crucial for student athletes.
“We are able to do electrical stimulation, ultrasound, intermittent compression, cryotherapy, thermotherapy, dry cupping, instrument assisted soft tissue massage/ manual massage,” said Smith.
In the process of trying to find the new overseer of athletic training, the athletic department did not have to look far.
“We did go into a national search for a new Head Athletic Trainer,” said Athletic Director Steven Rackley. “Brad Smith was the best candidate. He’s been here, he knows Alma, the coaches trust him, and most importantly our student athletes trust him.”
As for the future of athletic training, the plans are to continue taking care of the student athletes.
“The big plans would be to simply continue the great care that the previous athletic trainers have established, as well as continue to listen to the student-athletes input for any improvements that we can make as a staff,” said Smith.
