For high school athletes, injury is an incredibly common setback. Roughly 38 percent of high school athletes injure themselves over the course of one school year, according to BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine.
Fortunately, however, Berkeley High School student athletes have a resource to turn to when needed: athletic trainer Lauren Small. She has worked as a personal trainer at BHS since 2014, and been a certified athletic trainer since 2004, marking her 22 year in the field.
Small can be found on campus from 4 to 8 p.m. every weekday, on call for athletes that may need her support. For students with questions about an injury or needing assistance with rehabilitation, Small offers a variety of services.
She treats sprains and small injuries, provides soft tissue work, stretching, massage therapy, and gives physical therapy exercise regimens to athletes to help them return to full strength.
“We have an on-campus clinic so we’re there in case there’s an emergency,” Small said. She’s there to support students during their injuries, and evaluating whether they need to go to a doctor or can stay at the on-campus clinic for treatment. She described her job as “a combination of multiple different other professions.”
Small originally became interested in sports medicine after taking a class in high school. She was drawn to athletic training because it allowed her to combine her desire to work in the medical field with her desire to help and support students, all outside of the intense, stressful environment that a clinic or hospital might have.
For her, the work is not only about helping athletes to return to their sport, but also about serving as a positive role model for students. “I like being somebody that high school athletes can come to if they are concerned about something, but they aren’t necessarily wanting or don’t know if it’s serious enough to tell their parents or tell their coaches. (I get to) be there from more of a mental health standpoint,” Small said.
Small’s ultimate goal is for all student athletes at BHS to be able to return from injury as quickly as possible. Through her dedication and support, she helps athletes recover safely, regain their confidence, and get back to doing what they enjoy.