Recovery rituals
As the familiar jingle of the bell signals the end of the school day, a throng of students rushes into an unassuming room on the side of the athletic center: the training room. From ankle sprains to sore muscles, athletic trainer Wes Howard is prepared for whoever walks — or limps — through his door.
Equipped with tools and technology like lasers, interferential therapy devices and hot and cold tubs, his training room serves as a space athletes can count on to maintain their health during long seasons with stiff competition, where a single misstep can land someone in crutches for weeks.
Howard’s work extends beyond just taping ankles or handing out medicine. He supports athletes from their initial injury through recovery and return to gameplay.
“Depending on what I need to do, [my equipment] are all important, but they have different purposes,” Howard said. “You use all the tools in the acute phase, and then you use fewer of the tools and more manual therapy, and then, devices like the Bosu ball and the plank board to build up towards them playing again.”