Dear Jill,
Often times, as student athletes, we find ourselves under a steadily increasing amount of stress. Our love for the sports we play sometimes overrides or drive and motivation to do other things, like for example, in a more negative sense, school work but also in a positive sense, for example, drinking or using recreational drugs. So, there is a lot to be said about an athletic trainer based on how their athletes act and behave not only overtly, but covertly as well. This is because an athlete/athletic trainer relationship goes much deeper than what it appears to be and should not be taken at face value.
"Not only was she a great athletic trainer but she was really nice and took the time to get to know all of us athletes." - TJ Marrapodi, class of 2013.
I am very lucky to have had you as an athletic trainer for three years of my athletic career, not only for the concussion tests you performed or the various parts of my body you wrapped before practice, but also for the compassion and kindness you showed me as well as every other Calhoun athlete.
I think I am speaking for all of Calhoun High School's student athletes when I say that, our athletic careers would not have been the same without you.
"Jill always went above and beyond for me and my injuries. She would always make sure I got the best treatment. She was a great trainer and very protective of her athletes. She always went out of her way to do the right thing." - Brendan Nestola, class of 2012.
He's right, you did always go out of your way to do the right thing, even if the "right thing" wasn't necessarily part of your job description. I'll never forget how, after a day of absolute chaos, you pulled me into your office, sat me down, looked me in the eyes and told me that you wouldn't let anything else bad happen to me and that you were there for me, no matter what. The kindness and compassion you showed me that day was not out of the ordinary for you as you showed the same to each and every one of your athletes:
"Jill was my athletic trainer for two years of my baseball career. We had a really rowdy team, we liked to cause a lot of problems, but Jill was at every game we played. She was there just in case anyone got hurt but she did much more than that. She let us sit in her little golf cart while the game went on and a lot of the bench players liked to hangout with her during the game. We told her stories we probably shouldn't have but she was like a mother to us, whether it was listening to what we had to say or keeping us in line. She was great." - Mike Mento, class of 2012.
You were perhaps the most important asset to all of our athletic careers, working to keep us healthy and safe.
"Jill may not have been on the field, but she was part of the team." - Tyler Mehlman, class of 2012.
I decided to write this because I think that in a way, your hard work sometimes goes overlooked. You had to put up with a lot of high school drama and sometimes even disrespect but despite all of that, you never stopped doing your very best for all of us.
"No matter what she said or did to make you think otherwise, you knew that her first priority was us kids." - Jake Nestola, class of 2013.
Athletic training involves more than skills and professionalism, it involves heart, and you have that. You would go to hell and back for your athletes and on behalf of all Calhoun's past and even present student athletes, I thank you for being so great... for being you.
From,
Sarah, class of 2013
