ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 values the health of its student-athletes, and athletic trainers like Andy Renner work hard to keep them in shape.
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Most people assume athletic trainers “handle all the injuries, but there’s more than that,” Renner said. His main interest is in preventing injuries in the first place. He wants to make sure his athletes are in a good place every time they step on the field, and he enjoys working with students and coaches to prioritize student health and safety.
“It’s a pretty diverse and wide job,” Renner said. “It’s really grown everywhere, and so it’s an exciting time to be in the profession. I love the secondary school setting because of what we bring and what we do. I just enjoy being around younger athletes. They make you laugh. They’re still young. There’s still that youthful exuberance, and so it can be really enjoyable at times. It’s so fun.”
Renner treats injuries that athletes sustain at practices or games. He pulls kids out of gym class or study halls so they don’t miss any instructional time, then does basic physical therapy with them to help alleviate pain and promote healing.
He also tries to be at every football practice, so he’s on-call for such a high-contact sport. He manages concussion protocols to make sure students don’t go back into the game if they’re injured.
Lately, Renner has been focused on preventing heat illnesses by monitoring athletes and working with coaches to adjust practice and game times. He also makes sure all AEDs are working and all coaches are trained in CPR.
Renner believes people sometimes misunderstand the role of an athletic trainer. He is focused on treating injuries, but also preventing them and making sure athletes are at their healthiest when they perform. As part of this job, he works with athletes to ensure they’re moving and exercising safely.
“Everybody always sees us hand out ice bags and tapes. They’re two of my least favorite things because I don't think they make you much better…It’s the old adage of putting a band-aid on a hemorrhage sometimes with those two treatments,” he explained. “I’m a big believer that movement is medicine. Even just being sore after a game, if you get moving and stretching, it’s going to feel better. And so we try to work on those things as well as maybe you’ve got more of a significant injury, and we’re doing some therapeutic exercise to try and restore strength and motion and get you back to where you should be normally.”
Renner noted that athletic injuries are common these days because “our kids go nonstop,” with longer seasons and more practices. He hopes their work can help athletes avoid injuries so they can go on to play for years to come.
Historically, the collaboration between coaches and athletic trainers can be contentious, but Renner emphasized that’s not the case in Alton. The coaches and parents understand that Renner’s team is focused on keeping athletes safe and healthy. Everyone involved prioritizes the students’ well-being.
“We talk about patient-centered care and what the individual needs over, necessarily, what the team needs,” Renner added. “Healthy athletes obviously compete better. That’s our contribution on that side.”
Renner will continue to work hard to keep these kids safe and enjoying the sports they love. He hopes high school athletics can continue to be a fun outlet for students to enjoy.
This featured article is sponsored by Alton Community Unit School District #11. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
