Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is proud to serve as The Official Health Care Provider of more than 100 schools, offering expert Team Doctors and Athletic Trainers for your school in Forsyth, Guilford, Yadkin, Davidson and Wilkes counties.
Our mission is to keep your student-athlete and our community healthy, safe and injury-free. Each month, we will be spotlighting some of our dedicated Team Doctors and Athletic Trainers and share tips and exciting news in the world of sports medicine and high school athletics.
Athletic Trainers play a crucial role in protecting student-athletes in the Piedmont. They serve as the first line of defense in preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries, to ensure that athletes can safely compete.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s Athletic Trainer program is one of the largest in the nation. Here are just some of the services provided by our Athletic Trainers:
- Evaluate, treat and rehabilitate injuries and athletic-related illnesses
- Recognize and evaluate head injuries and concussions
- Provide acute, emergency and on-field care
- Design and implement injury prevention programs
- Understand general medical conditions, disabilities and health and wellness
- Understand how nutrition can help injuries and illnesses
- Prepare athletes for practices and games
- Monitor field, environment and weather conditions (e.g., heat index and lightning)
- Attend all home athletic events, matches and games (including practices)
- Develop return-to-play programs for injured athletes
- Communicate with physicians, parents, and coaches about injuries
- Develop emergency action plans for schools
To honor these professionals during National Athletic Training Month, we’d like to introduce you to a few of our Athletic Trainers who dedicate their profession to keeping our athletes injury-free.
Ashlee’ Frazier, MAT, LAT, ATC
Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy
For Ashlee’ Frazier, a career in healthcare was always her goal. As a high school student, she assisted her athletic trainer with first aid, volunteered at her local hospital, and served as a caregiver for her loved ones. These experiences reinforced her passion for helping others, and led her to a career in athletic training.
“Helping others to overcome challenges in their health or in their everyday life is something I am passionate about,” she says. “This profession allows me to be immersed as the heart of a healthcare team, while creating memorable milestones with athletes.”
Now serving as the Head Athletic Trainer at Winston-Salem Prep, Frazier works closely with physicians, physical therapists and other medical providers to ensure that athletes receive the care they need.
“We play a crucial role in the health and safety of student-athletes… from their immediate and emergent care… to injury prevention, assessment and rehabilitation… to education and counseling,” she says.
She says that over time, athletic trainers build a strong relationship with students.
“The students appreciate the work that we do and love having us there, not only as their Athletic Trainer, but also as their biggest fans.”
That support was especially important when Winston-Salem Prep’s varsity basketball team competed in the Frank Spencer Tournament Championship in November. Ashlee’ says that teens often have difficulty keeping a nutrition clock. She says she was persistent about nutrition education to make sure her athletes were properly fueled for the quick turnaround of games. With Ashlee’s support, they won the tournament.
“We may be small in numbers at times, but that number does not amount to the heart of my athletes.”
Tori Howard, LAT, ATC
Starmount High School
Tori Howard’s love for athletic training began when she was about 10 years old. She stood in the stands with her father at an East Carolina University football game and watched a player get injured. When she saw people rushing onto the field, she asked her dad who they were.
“I looked at my dad and said ‘that’s what I want to be when I grow up,’” she remembers.
Now as an Athletic Trainer for Starmount High School, Howard is living out her dream, providing comprehensive care to her student-athletes.
“Athletic Trainers are like icebergs. People see about 10 percent of what we do, which would be taping, handing out water, giving ice, and standing on the sidelines. The other 90 percent, people do not see,” she says.
One of those tasks sometimes calls for Tori to think outside of the box to keep athletes healthy. This past season, she introduced yoga into the team’s daily workouts to increase flexibility and reduce muscle injuries.
“The muscular injury rate went down significantly compared to other seasons,” Tori observed. “The increased flexibility from yoga played a vital role in injury prevention.”
Another role is to offer a “safe space” for students. Having been a three-sport athlete herself growing up, she can empathize with many of their concerns, and often counsels them to admit to pain they may be feeling before an injury gets worse.
“They have a positive response to having an Athletic Trainer on campus. They feel like there is someone they can rely on, who will listen, and who cares about their overall well-being,” she says. “There is also a level of trust between athlete and Athletic Trainer because sometimes the athletes feel as if they cannot tell their coach that they are injured because they fear that the coach might get mad. But they feel safe opening up to their Athletic Trainer.”
Alaria Oliver, MS, LAT, ATC
Lexington Senior High School
Alaria Oliver was always rooted in a passion for helping others, so becoming an Athletic Trainer felt very natural. She originally planned to pursue a career in physical therapy, but discovered that athletic training provided a dynamic and hands-on environment where she could directly impact athletes every day.
Now serving as the Head Athletic Trainer at Lexington High, Alaria plays a crucial role in keeping student-athletes healthy. She believes her job begins with the athlete and the trust they need to have in her.
“Student-athletes appreciate having someone care about their physical and mental well-being, she says. “Many athletes have expressed that they trust their athletic trainer and feel comfortable discussing their issues with them.”
That trust played a key role in the girls’ basketball team’s historic season this year. They won the regular season conference championship for the first time.
“A handful of the players dealt with chronic injuries off the court and needed guidance on how to manage their injuries correctly,” she says, pointing out that the most rewarding part about her job is seeing athletes return to their sport after suffering an injury. “I am very proud of the girls and their success!”
To schedule an appointment with an Orthopaedic or Sports Medicine specialist, call 888-716-WAKE (9253) or schedule online.