By Ruth Morales

Staff Writer

Michelle Hamilton works diligently every year to keep athletes healthy as the head athletic trainer.

Her daily routine is overwhelming, interesting and full of challenges. For students that are not really into sports, they are most likely not familiar with the job of an athletic trainer. Maybe they have seen them on television, running out onto the field to attend to an injured player. The athletic trainer might seem to blend in with the coaches and players, however they are extremely important to an athlete’s career.

Here at CSUSM, Hamilton sees to it that student athletes play and compete in a safe manner for their physical well-being. As a head athletic trainer, her job is far from easy.

She has to oversee the well-being of about 320 athletes and sees approximately 50 per day. Hamilton’s job frequently takes her out of the office, and she must have a plan in case an emergency does happen out on the fields. Unfortunately, she has had to execute an emergency plan many of times during her career. She is always fully prepared with a plan reviewed by coaches, campus police, city police and paramedics.

Whether it is a game day or not, there is no such thing as a typical day for Hamilton. Her day consists of making evaluations on injuries, finding the best treatments, meetings with coaches, making restriction plans for athletes and providing rehab methods. She also preps teams for practice and tends to their pains once they are done.

Hamilton’s achievements are backed by 17 years of experience prior to CSUSM. Besides working with student athletes, she also works with student interns. She recommends that interns learn to be good communicators. She said that they should do more than just treat an injury and really listen to the athletes. It is not a knee that they are treating; it is a person. Building trust is key for an athletic trainer.

At the end of a very long day, this super hero might feel frustrated from all of her hard work. Yet if she was given the opportunity to go back and change careers, she would choose hers all over again. According to Hamilton, “healthcare + student population + sports = the best career.”