Athletes have been practicing every day to ensure a brilliant performance when the clock starts. Within all of this chaos, there is one factor that keeps the players healthy and happy: their athletic trainer!

You may see her on the field, but athletic trainer Kate Strouse puts in a lot more work behind the scenes that people don’t see. So what exactly does an athletic trainer like Strouse do?

Part of Strouse’s workload is the preparation that goes into games, events and practices. She gets to school early to make sure she can get paperwork done before she has one on one time with any athlete that may need her help. “After school gets out, I evaluate injuries, reach [the] injured, get athletes prepared for practice, and get home exercises ready for athletes that need them” Strouse explained. 

To prevent as many injuries as possible, Strouse emphasizes that an effective warm up is key, adding that mobility, stretching, and hydration before and after games is crucial. These are her go to strategies that she repeats to every athlete and coach at both of her schools, Middletown and Urbana. 

Strouse makes sure everyone is fully ready to comeback from any injury. “She put me through the concussion protocol and had me run and do push ups to make sure I was fully ready to come back. ” Johnny Crane said when he had a concussion during his sports season.

As busy as she is, Strouse strongly believes that developing a personal connection with her athletes plays a big part in the rehabilitation process. “The better I know an athlete, the better I know their pain tolerance and limitations. I feel [that] I know how to tailor their rehab program better if I know them.” 

When it comes to injuries, Strouse most commonly covers lower extremities, specifically ankles and knees. When someone gets hurt, Strouse’s typical procedure is to wait for the referee to stop the clock and bring her onto the field. “Unless it looks like a serious injury, I will wait for the clock to stop and run on.” Once she reaches them she first makes sure that they are okay. Then she takes the player off of the field to further assess their injuries.

Strouse works together with coaches to prevent as many injuries as possible. She advises coaches to stretch out their athletes before practice to warm up player’s muscles. 

She also encourages them to prioritize the athletes’ needs, stating, “realizing when your athletes need a break is key to keeping them healthy.” 

Strouse believes that giving athletes more breaks can actually cause them to perform better. This belief not only comes from her own experience but also from professional research.

Strouse’s mindset and attitude towards her athletes is one of the many reasons athletes feel open coming to her. When helping rehabilitate an injured athlete, her strategy is to be consistently encourage them while avoiding being too overbearing. She claims that “you want the athlete to know that you are working with them, instead of against them,” she also reminds the athlete that it isn’t a linear process, some days will be harder than others.  

Additionally, Strouse allows high school students to sit in and intern with her throughout the year. Interns observe and listen to all of her daily responsibilities throughout practices and games. They take notes of her routines for game days, coach introductions, protocol, and all medical aspects. 

While the interns are there to learn and help, Strouse says that they also have a lot of fun. Strouse definitely knows how to provide a positive and happy environment for students even when they aren’t actively playing a sport. 

Fall intern Quincy Rupinta reflected on what aspect of the internship she liked the most and quickly decided,“Really everything, she was able to influence me and persuade me of my future passion and career.” 

 While Strouse’s job is chaotic and challenging from all angles, her passion and drive for putting and keeping athletes in the best position they can be keeps her going everyday.

Strouse is a huge part of keeping the athletics program running smoothly and safely, and we are extremely lucky to have her.