Sports med club works to heal Samo's athletes

Anyone who has attended a varsity football game has probably seen several students on the sidelines handing out water to the players or perhaps bandaging an injury. While this may seem small, these students are part of a larger group, the Sports Med club. This club tends to an athlete’s most vital need: their health. The Sports Med Club meets every Monday in the trainer’s room, preparing to assist at Samo sports games, both before, during and after play. These tasks range from preparing water and Gatorade to taping and rolling out athletes. When the games aren’t happening, they help the trainer, Daniel Tran, by icing or taping people that need it.During club meetings, they learn how to assist in various field emergencies. For example, club members learn about steps for wound care and how to prevent injured players from contracting any bloodborne pathogens. They also learn about assessing severities of wounds and how to go about stopping bleeding and steps for bandaging. Melisa Ramirez-Hernandez (’21) tore her ACL back in March. As a way to assist other injured athletes like herself, she decided to join the club. She shared the specific jobs the club members do.“We do concussion evaluations, taping ankles or wrists, icing injuries, first aid for minor injuries. Daniel and the doctor come to the football games to assist the more serious injuries,”  Ramirez-Hernandez said.   These trainings come in handy as President Melea Comay (’20) recounted several injuries during the Culver Football game.“All the [players] kept cramping up during the second half and they were dropping like flies. Another time, one of the other team’s players fell and hurt their neck and we had to help stabilize it,” Comay said.Even Samo athletes recognize the influence the Sports Med club has on Vikings athletics. Evan Green (’21), a kicker on varsity football, acknowledge the importance of the club in regards to the football teams.“They are always there to tend to our injuries. They tape our wrists, ankles, and help us get ready for the games or practices,” Green said.The Sports Med club has been around for many years and currently boasts 25 members. Their role before, during and after sporting events is vital in making the athletic programs on campus run smoothly.