When thinking of college sports, your first thought would most likely be a player you like. Your second thought may be a criticism of a coach you dislike. However, who you should be thinking about a little more are the athletic trainers.

Without the tireless efforts of the athletic training staff, the athletes that everyone shows up to see wouldn’t always be on their A-game.

A common misconception about managers and athletic trainers is that they are all mere “waterboys”. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Between putting the Gatorade powder and ice in the dispenser and stirring it, there is much to do in a day’s work.

If your favorite athlete sustains an injury on the field or court of play, the athletic trainer is out there looking at it. When the player makes it to the sideline, if necessary, the athletic trainer is there looking at it. If the injury is serious enough, do you know who is working in conjunction with the athlete to get it fixed? If you guessed the athletic trainers, you would be right! To avoid athletes even being hurt in the first place, the athletic trainers are there to facilitate injury prevention, employing various techniques to keep the athlete’s body in tip-top shape.

Another aspect fans don’t usually think about is that the average athletic trainer, often being a former athlete themselves, can serve as the bridge between the coaches or athletes and the team doctors. Although not entirely a team doctor, they often hold the knowledge to translate medical language into terms that the athlete or coach, even parents, can understand.

Lastly, college athletic trainers are logistical monsters. When it comes to managing rehab or appointment schedules, packing medical kits for travel, and all that good stuff, you can trust your athletic trainer to handle that.

Next time you think about sports, just give the athletic trainers a little thought. That’s all those incredibly selfless people want, if that.