Trainers have not been available all throughout the fall sports season because of COVID and job loss. Trainers are not at every practice, and every sports game, like they were in the past to help protect players and help them if an incident was to occur. 

     Timothy Larrimore, Athletic Director, said “ATI provides the trainers for Harford County at no cost…” When the pandemic happened and everything shut down, there is now an athletic trainer shortage. Because of the shortage of trainers, ATI can “not find enough trainers to supply one at each day to every school,”  according to Larrimore. 

     “North Harford and Fallston, two of the largest schools for athletics, are the only schools that don’t have full time trainers,”  varsity head field hockey coach Carla Harward states. 

     Not having a trainer has affected all of the teams that are currently playing right. “I have to be two people at practices, head coach and trainer,” says  head varsity football coach Justin Martinek. “Most of practice stops when I am assessing an injury, no matter if it is minor or major,” comments Martinek. 

      Ora Cummings, head girls varsity soccer coach comments “…if an injured player return[s] to play without proper healing [they can seriously get hurt].” Cummings added, “With no trainer at a game or practice a player could return too early[,] possibly leading to a more seriou injury.”

    Harward says, “Not having a trainer on site has been very challenging…we have had multiple occasions where we needed a trainer during practice and games.”

     Martinek states, “North Harford athletes rarely have access to a trainer to help with injuries. The only time football sees a trainer is on game days…. most sports haven’t seen or had a trainer this year.”

     This is worrisome for many coaches.  “It really is jeopardizing the safety of our athletes not having a trainer in case something happens” comments Harward. 

     Cummings adds  “that not having a trainer affects our team. When a trainer is available the athletes are able to meet with him/her prior to a practice or game.”

     Preparation for games includes “ankle or knee taping [that] could allow an athlete to participate safely,” Cummings says.

     “[In football] we have had a few shoulder injuries during practice ranging from a stinger to a broken collarbone,” said Martinek.   Similarly, a situation occurred in a soccer game and “a trainer would have been helpful,” states Cummings. The player had to leave the game and “having a trainer would have provided undivided attention necessary to assess the severity and offer proper treatment,” said Cummings. 

     Timing is important with regard to athletic injuries.  “A trainer would have been helpful to clearly diagnose the injury instead of the player waiting a day to see their doctor to assess the injury,” comments Martinek. 

    The coaches at NH seem to agree that not having an athletic trainer puts unnecessary stress on everyone. “It is just a bad situation to put [us] in this position when their focus should be to coach their teams. Now they must coach their teams and take care of injuries,” said Harward.