The Important Role of the Athletic Trainer: Gamecock Women’s Tennis
On any athletic team, there are multiple moving parts that make the whole operation run seamlessly. An integral part of that operation is the athletic trainer.
Of course every team has a staff that attends to the players when they are injured. But many times that role transcends wrapping up ankles, or guidance on how to properly use stretch bands. It includes the installation of good physical habits, pushing towards goals, preparing the body for life-long health, and building trust.
That’s where Megan Grace comes in.
Grace is in her first season as the South Carolina Women’s Tennis Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer. And she is already making a big impact on her players.
Senior Silvia Chinellato, who has been battling a left knee injury this season, recognizes Grace’s dedication to her job, and believes that it has influenced the way her, and her teammates, view their own physical health.
“She is a person we need on the team in case something happens and she is really present,” Chinellato said. “She just really cares about the well being of people… we trust her 100%.”
That trainer-player connection plays a pivotal role in the establishment of trust. Every day, Grace has the responsibility of making sure these women are ready to perform at the highest caliber. That starts with the fundamentals, such as simply making sure the players are properly stretching. For the players to get maximum power from their shoulder on a serve, or avoid injuries like a pulled hamstring, these measures must be instilled on a daily basis. When it comes to this level of competition, the players must rely on Grace’s extensive knowledge to make sure they are being rehabbed properly and that all the correct precautions are being taken.
“Megan is really passionate about her job, and has great communications skills with all of us,” added Chinellato. “With me, she was very knowledgeable about my injury and she was really respectful and understanding about my necessities.”
All that begins with preparation. Grace, who one can assume is a big “Harry Potter” fan, attributes her readiness to her training bag. “I have my nice big athletic training bag and it’s got a variety of tapes, bandaids, anything you could possibly think of for the most part. It’s like my own magical Hermione Granger bag.”
Megan Grace said she takes pride in the impact she is having on the team’s success this season. The Gamecocks are currently ranked №22 nationally in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, and are just coming off of a 4–0 victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide on March 1st.
However, Grace is also preparing her Gamecocks for a life after tennis, and focusing on the longevity of physical health. “When you kinda take people’s focus off of the short term picture and more of the long term how am i gonna get them on the court and make them feel good in their daily life, it kinda gets them not the think about just the sport.”
