By Caroline Crawford and Betsy Clarke

Tate posing with Deloye after a soccer game at City Stadium. Photo credit: Tara Tate.

In celebration of March being National Athletic Trainers Month, The Match caught up with one of Collegiate’s athletic trainers, Tara Tate, on a Wednesday morning last month. Without Tate, Collegiate sports would not be nearly as successful as they are today. During the school day, Tate stays on the main campus, helping students with various injuries. When school lets out, she hustles to Robins Campus, where she begins her afternoon working alongside trainer Erin Deloye and student volunteers Mary Ellis Logan (‘25) and Cameron Jones (‘25). 

Despite the busy activity out at Robins, often involving more injuries and an overflowing training room, Tate prefers working there because “being out there, with so much surrounding nature, is breathtakingly beautiful, especially the sunset at the end of practices.” With so many sports teams playing out at Robins, athletes are constantly seeking assistance from the trainers. Tate expressed her gratitude towards Logan and Jones, saying, “they help us maintain the functionality of the training room.” They help walk athletes through rehab, tape injuries, and prepare ice treatments. Without them, the training room would be swamped with untreated injuries.

Because of Tate’s positive persona, the challenges behind the job are not always apparent. Being responsible for all possible emergencies is, at times, stressful. If an athlete becomes unconscious, Tate is immediately called for help. She says, “Always being prepared and ready for that is heavy, but I love teaching kids about their injuries and maybe inspiring someone to go into health care.” 

Tate works hard to keep the training room a friendly environment, which is why she spends time creating daily polls for athletes to spark conversation. Most recently the polls have included “Do you support” questions, such as “Do you support runny eggs?” or “Do you support Hamilton?” The polls often carry over to team discussions during warm-ups and foster a cohesive environment.

Featured image courtesy of Collegiate School.