As an athlete, most of us know we couldn’t do what we do without the help of our athletic trainers. They are the whole reason we are able to continue doing what we love even when our bodies hate that we’re doing it. After completing my last round of two-a-days ever, I realized there are so many things I don’t think to verbally thank my athletic trainers for. Here are just eight reasons to thank your athletic trainers, the cape-less heroes of the big wide world of sports.

1. Giving us “the look” when they know it’s going to be a practice full of conditioning.

Seriously, we appreciate this. There’s nothing us athletes hate more than being surprised with “Get on the line! We’re doing 10 suicides in 10 minutes.” It’s nice to have the 1.5 hour to mentally prepare ourselves for that.

2. Not getting to take a day off.

Most of us complain about only getting one or two days off, but athletic trainers hardly get that much time. With fall, winter, and spring seasons overlapping, it’s difficult to fit everyone’s practices in within Monday-Saturday. Some teams have to practice on a Sunday. Athletic trainers have to be there for every practice or we don’t get to practice.

3. Knowing how to make the perfect 10-gallon bucket of Gatorade with powder.

Water just doesn’t cut it for everyone. Sometimes having that second option of Gatorade is heavenly. I don’t even know how to get the right lemonade powder to water ratio right but somehow you manage to make powder Gatorade taste just like the bottles. It’s the little things people!

4. Reading our facial expressions and knowing when we aren’t really “fine.”

As athletes, we tend to try and mask our actual pain. We hate sitting out so we avoid telling the truth at all costs when asked how we are feeling of if we can go another 10 minutes. Without someone being able to see right through our “crap” we’d probably all be done with our sports five years earlier.

5. Applying the right amount of pressure when rolling out our legs.

Sometimes it’s difficult to inflict that kind of torture on ourselves. It helps to have trained individuals do it for us. You know what we can handle and what we can’t. We know you are only doing it to make us better in the long run.

6. Listening to our complaints.

The training room is the first place we go after a long day of classes. Sometimes we need to vent about an annoying exam we just took or a pop quiz a professor gave because they felt like being obnoxious that day. Other days we like to complain about the fact we are practicing during the best dining hall hours and now we have to get the nasty leftovers. We don’t expect you to fix those problems but just listen and you always come through for us.

7. Pushing us beyond what we think we can handle.

Whether it’s doing an extra repetition of rubber band exercises or doing a wall sit for 45 seconds, you’re always trying to make us better, faster, and stronger. It’s nice to have someone in our corner making us work harder because you know we have it in us even when we think we don’t.

8. For being our mom, friend, and counselor all wrapped in one.

Being a college athlete, most of us are far from home. Sometimes the things we need our moms and friends for, isn’t as easily accessible as it used to be. When we are sick with the flu, you tell us to go home and rest and eat bland foods. When we are sick with the cold, you make sure we take the proper medicine. When we need a good laugh or want to gossip, you always come in clutch with the best jokes and athletic department stories. And finally, when we need to cry because the pain of an injury is too much or schools kicking our butts, you give us that opportunity to let our guard down and show the emotion we try so hard to hide.

The list could go on but these are just a few of the things you deserved thanked for. We don’t say it as often as we should, but we are extremely grateful for all you do. You didn’t sign up to be our mothers but you ended up being a good fill in while they’re away. Thanks for being the glue and tape that allows us to continue to do what we love.