Friday night football is back in Tennessee, and while fans focus on the action on the field, Athletic Trainers are watching for something else: signs that an athlete may need help.
At East Ridge High School, Athletic Trainer Hunter Amos works the sidelines throughout games, monitoring players for injuries, heat illness and even subtle changes in how they move.
“Normally we get perceived as the person who just tapes ankles, hands out ice packs, but we’re here for a lot more than that,” Amos said. “We are there for injury prevention. We’re there with the kids throughout the season. We know them before, during, and after their injuries.”
That familiarity can become particularly important during Tennessee’s early-season heat. Amos said recent conditions have been “kind of brutal,” prompting East Ridge to spend more practice time indoors.
During games, she watches for heat cramps, changes in sweating, confusion and difficulty processing information or moving normally. TSSAA heat guidelines also require additional precautions under certain conditions, including access to a certified Athletic Trainer and cold-water immersion.
But monitoring athletes involves more than watching the thermometer.
“I take a full athlete approach, so not just their physical health, but also their mental health as well,” Amos said.
Knowing her athletes also helps Amos recognize when something simply doesn’t look right.
“I know their gait patterns. I know how they move,” she said. “So I’m able to pick up on things very quickly and tell our coaches if we need to sub somebody out for us to look at them.”
As another football season begins, that constant observation illustrates just how much Athletic Trainers contribute beyond the moments when an injury stops play.