There are a wide range of sports teams at East. They range from cross-country and football in the fall, to basketball in the winter, track and tennis in the spring, and so much more. With so many students playing sports all the time, you might be wondering who helps all of the athletes stay in shape and treat their injuries. That is where East’s sports med club steps in. Since 2017, advisor and school athletic trainer Amanda Girkin, known more commonly as Ms. G, along with a group of student club members, has been making sure all of the student athletes do their best on the field.
“I started the club to give kids opportunities to know what sports medicine is,” Girkin said. “I can also get some help with the treating athletes because there’s so many sports teams and one of me.”
Unlike regular medicine, sports medicine focuses solely on orthopedic injuries from physical activity. Girkin says the main injuries she treats are sprains, strains and fractures. Since the students help Girkin train athletes and treat athletes’ injuries, the sports med club is also a valuable educational opportunity for those involved.
“The sports med club opens up the possibility of a medical career,” club member and senior Ashley Burnett said. “It starts giving you hands-on experience of any medical role, because you need to know the anatomy and different body parts for anything medical.”
Unsurprisingly, being a member is a daily commitment.
“Every day after school, club members come and help Ms. G. with all the different sports that are going on during the day and at night,” Burnett said. “Also, during club meetings, Ms. G. tries to pick a certain injury for us to focus on and learn how to help with it and fix it.”
At one of the meetings, for example, students gathered around Ms. Girkin. to watch a demonstration of how to do a skinfold test and a hydration test (a measurement of water content in urine to see how much water someone has been drinking), both of which are required to join the wrestling team.
“Wrestling is a hard sport where it’s physically demanding and you’re in a hot room,” Burnett explained. “If you’re not putting the right stuff into your body, then you won’t be successful in the sport.”
To the club members, the sports med club is also more than just a club. It’s a community.
“The sports med club has really become like a family,” Burnett said. “We’re all just really close knit people and we hang out together outside of the club.”
Anyone interested in joining can stop by Ms. G.’s room between the girls’ and boys’ locker rooms on Tuesdays during lunch or any time after school.
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