It’s often said that moms know best—but when your mom is also the team’s Athletic Trainer, that advantage can translate directly to the field.
“I think that it helps people and me a lot more than you think,” Max said. “It is about recovering, staying healthy and building those little muscles that you do not see that can help you stabilize and get ready to play football.”
Beth, a 1997 Avon graduate, has worked as an Athletic Trainer at Avon since 2016 alongside fellow Athletic Trainer Jim O’Leary. Head coach Mike Elder described them as invaluable, saying,
“We are so blessed to have Beth Hauck and Jim O’Leary. Those are our two trainers, and they are the best.”
Working full-time with the program since Max’s sophomore year, Beth sees her role as much bigger than treating injuries.
“I look at that entire senior class like they are kind of all my kids, and I love them all like they are my sons,” she said. “When they are hurt, I get to be there, hug them and help them.”
Despite the family connection, she intentionally avoids treating her own child during games.
“It is a lot easier for Jim to take care of Max… With me, I am looking at too many factors… it is harder for me to look objectively,” she explained.
Her influence shows. Max’s athleticism at 6-4 and 300 pounds led Elder to call him “one of those guys” who combines power with rare lateral movement and quickness.
With Hauck anchoring both sides of the ball, Avon enters the regional final at 11-1.
“It gets more special every week,” Max said. “The more physical team will come out on top.”
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