30 Athletes Before Practice. One Athletic Trainer Trying to Do It All.

For Kristen Aguiar, the final school bell doesn't mean the day is winding down. It means things are about to get even busier.

Aguiar, an Athletic Trainer at Canton High School in Massachusetts, regularly sees 30 to 40 athletes in just 45 minutes before afternoon practices begin.

Some need ankles taped. Others need injury evaluations, concussion follow-ups, or clearance to return to play. And that's before the games and practices get underway.

One Athletic Trainer. A Lot of Responsibilities.

According to The Boston Globe, Aguiar was recently preparing to oversee 11 sporting events in a single afternoon while coordinating care with school nurses, teachers, physicians, and families.

She's spent 23 years in Athletic Training, including the past 11 at Canton High School.

Over those years, she's built relationships with athletes and learned to recognize when something isn't right, even when an athlete might not speak up.

“When things might fall through the cracks, we’re there,” Aguiar told The Boston Globe.

But her story also highlights a larger problem.

Not Every School Has an Athletic Trainer

Massachusetts doesn't require every high school to employ a full-time Athletic Trainer.

According to the report, approximately 67% of schools governed by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association have access to a full-time Athletic Trainer.

That leaves many student-athletes without consistent access to the kind of care Aguiar provides every day.

And while state Athletic Training advocates continue pushing for greater coverage, concerns about funding and staffing remain.

For Aguiar, the issue goes beyond budgets. Schools recognize the importance of having nurses available during the school day, but athletes also need qualified medical professionals when they head onto the field or court.

Her story is a reminder of just how much Athletic Trainers do, often behind the scenes, to keep student-athletes safe.

And why every athlete deserves access to that care.

Source: The Boston Globe — Massachusetts High Schools Aren't Required to Have a Full-Time Athletic Trainer