Katie Jenson, Head Athletic trainer here at Hackley first found out about this school through her husband a few summers ago. She explained that that was her first time seeing the campus and discovering the school. She began her work on the hilltop in the fall of 2019. She described the new facility as “college-level” and very different from what she was used to.

 “I was at a public school before I came here and it was a very small athletic training room. Not anything near this, so it was amazing to be able to sort of upgrade and then use everything that the Johnson Center offers with our students,” she said.  

Jenson said she is doing the same job she used to do at her old in a public school, but she is doing it better because she has more available to her, whereas the public school had a very small budget and not as much rehab equipment. In addition, she explained how the atmosphere and amount of space in the training room allow for the students to want to come in every day and do their rehab. 

She explained she first became interested in this profession when she was in high school because her athletic trainer was a “legend” and taught a sports medicine class for juniors and seniors. Growing up she was not a student-athlete, but enjoyed watching sports and cheering on her friends from the stands.  

“I took his class kind of on a whim and it just clicked and I stuck with it and almost fifteen years later I am still here,” she stated. 

She explained that being empathetic really helps her care for the injured and help them. When asked if there is any adrenaline attached to her job, she explained that when someone gets injured on the field the uncertainty of what the injury is while running to go help them has adrenaline attached. 

“My favorite part is when an athlete is back to play,” she said. 

Seeing that the athlete’s rehab paid off was one of her favorite parts about helping injured athletes. When asked what the most extreme injury she has dealt with, she responded saying some dislocated shoulders and some fractures. As well, a wrestler split his forehead open, causing a gory injury. 

Her average day in the life at Hackley begins when she arrives at 10 am. She begins her work by checking her emails, doing some laundry, and making phone calls. She then goes into the weight room with Coach Paterno and after, will eat lunch with Mr. Edwards and Ms. Napoletano. Things begin to pick up in the athletic training room around 2:15, when middle school is dismissed. She explained that 2-4 pm are her busiest hours. Once 4pm comes, Upper School has practices and games going on from 4-6 pm. Once those games end, her job is done for the day. 

“Even when there isn’t an injury, I am always thinking of worst case scenarios just so that it helps to be prepared in an emergency setting,” she said when explaining what goes through her mind during a game. 

She felt that there was not a particular sport that had a lot of players visiting the athletic training room, but instead that overall the fall season is very busy. She explained that a lot of students take the summer off to relax, so coming back for a person and pushing your body for 2 weeks can be tough. This will be her first competitive spring season at Hackley, and she is excited to see what the spring season will bring. 

Some advice she gave to athletes trying a new sport is that being sore is part of trying something new and that it does not mean a person is injured. She also explained that practice is key and that common injuries to watch out for going into a new sport can be ankle sprains.