I can’t even begin to thank you for all that you’ve done during my athletic career here. You’ve tortured me, put me through tons of pain and made me so tired. You’ve also given me so many good memories, made me smile, laugh and made me better. Sometimes I have a love-hate relationship with you guys--but you know that I (along with every other athlete at this school) love you.

I’ve spent countless hours in your athletic training room with rehab, icing, getting taped, wrapped and getting yelled at. I’ve also spent countless hours just sitting there talking to you, other athletes, or even just taking a nap. Because of you, we athletes feel as if we have a common safe-haven somewhere, and that is the athletic training room. Sometimes I feel like you aren’t only my athletic trainer--but my therapist. I know that I’m not the only one who feels this way either. We all go there with our own problems, but come out better because of you.

We love (and hate) that you tell us “I don’t feel bad for you.” It makes us stronger. Sometimes it really does piss us off--but it also makes us push ourselves more with our rehab. YOU make us stronger. You yell at us to do things that we think we literally can’t do--but once we do it, we feel so accomplished. A week after my ACL reconstruction, you told me to lift my leg and do a hip hike. I couldn’t even get my foot off the ground and I was so frustrated. I sat there and cried and said: “I can’t do it.” Good thing I had you there to yell at me, because I got it about 5 inches off the ground that day! The next week, I couldn’t do a straight leg raise--but good thing you were there to yell at me! I got my leg up about 65 degrees by the end of that day! The best thing when I’m in the athletic training room is hearing you cheer for us when we do something new. The first time I walked, I felt like a baby taking my first steps. You were cheering like some proud moms when their babies first learn to walk. It makes me want to cry, because something so simple is worth cheering for, but I know you and I have both worked for it. You guys all make us better than when we came in, and we can’t thank you enough for that.

Now, I know we aren’t the easiest people to deal with. We come in with smelly feet, hairy legs, broken bones and blood all the time. Sometimes, I hear you guys say “It never stops!” Deep down inside, I know you love it though, or else why would you be here dealing with us?! We come in moaning and groaning about how much we hate our lives and just want you to fix us. But it's only because we love you!

Again, I can’t thank you enough for everything that you’ve done for me (and everyone else that comes to you. We kinda need each other to win). We athletes love you like you’re our parents away from home (because you really are), and keep expecting us to come in even when we aren’t injured.

Sincerely,

Your athletes