At Siloam Springs High School, Athletic Trainer Skyler Sexton’s journey into sports medicine began the same way many do—with an injury.
“And then I took a class in high school, an athletic training class, that really pushed me to want to become an athletic trainer,” Sexton said. “So I've known since my sophomore year of high school I wanted to be an athletic trainer.”
Today, Sexton serves as the head Athletic Trainer for Siloam Springs schools, a role she describes as her dream job.
“This is actually my dream job,” she said. “To be head athletic trainer somewhere where my boys will come through -- this is exactly where I want to be.”
Athletic Trainers are often the first to respond when an athlete is injured, and Sexton believes relationships with athletes are key to effective care.
“Knowing our athletes is really beneficial, having a good rapport with them,” she said. “So when we get out there we can kind of tell, gauge what's wrong or the severity of it.”
For much of her time at Siloam Springs, Sexton was the district’s only Athletic Trainer, covering every home event for grades seven through 12—even while pregnant. In July 2025, the district hired Athletic Trainer Cam Nichols to help share the workload.
“It has been a huge blessing,” Sexton said.
Beyond caring for athletes, Sexton also mentors graduate students from the University of Arkansas’ Master of Athletic Training program. Clinical education coordinator Dr. Elizabeth Parke praised Sexton’s role as a mentor, saying:
“Our preceptor, Skyler, does a really great job of integrating our students into the site there.”
For Sexton, the work is about more than injuries—it’s about shaping lives. As senior Max Carter explained:
“She's really helped me decide that what she does is what I want to do.”
Full story here! Happy National Athletic Training month! #NATM2026