It’s no lie that the athletes at LSHS will experience injuries, everything from concussions to torn ACLs, but as many people know, “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” Our Athletic training team is there to make sure athletes can finish the season healthy.
Head Athletic Trainer Mariah Luedtke is at the head of the table when it comes to helping athletes recover from these injuries and return to the fields, courts, mats and pool. She earned her bachelor’s in Kinesiology and a minor in sports psychology from Western Washington University. She also earned her master’s in athletic training from Whitworth University, which is ranked 2nd best athletic training program in the state.
“On average I’ll see about 50 kids a day,” Luedtke said. She sees many different kids each day for different reasons.
“I do Injury evaluations, rehab, and any sort of taping or bracing that needs to be done.”
A vigorous work schedule is expected for the head athletic trainer. Not to mention the hundreds of kids that walk in the door during the track and field season.
Lake Stevens High School offers two different sports medicine classes, Sports Medicine, and Advanced Sports Medicine for the second year students. All students in these classes are available to volunteer to help out Leudtke in the athletic training department. The team of students who are helping out right now is made up of, senior Citalin Lopez and juniors Kayli Bravo, Caitlynn Ficke and Cooper Rysemus.
The athletic training position is more than a job; it is a way to build a friend group and community and make new friends.
“I feel like the experience and definitely the relationships, like building all these different friendships and getting close and meeting people that I probably would have never talked to if I hadn’t joined,” junior Kayli Bravo said.
She also accredited Erik Mahler, the Lake Stevens High School sports medicine teacher, to some of the student athletic trainer’s success. He Teaches the students the basics of sports medicine knowledge along with practical skills that will help them in emergencies on the field, courts, or pools.
“I had a broken hand the whole season, after every practice and every game I was with the trainers who would help me with a cast, make sure my hand didn’t hurt, and made sure I was on the field every single game.” Said senior football player Gage Solomon.
All in all, many student-athletes are grateful for the help of the athletic training team, bringing a mix of community, friendships, and sports preparation/recovery. The Lake Stevens Athletic Training team is a great privilege for the athletes.
