Championship performances often include similar celebrations. Excited athletes jumping for joy, trophies held high for all to see, and cheering crowds as teams rejoice after a long-sought objective is achieved. They are moments players, fans, and coaches long remember.
But after the past year’s high school championships had been written into the history books and graduations completed, a different kind of awards ceremony took place at a UPMC gathering commemorating achievements of a much more personal nature at the seventh annual Student Athlete Perseverance Awards hosted by UPMC athletic trainers in north central PA.
The event brought together athletes from the various high schools served by UPMC athletic trainers who had battled back from athletic injuries. Those honored included:
Bucktail – Kylie Lebo; Central Mountain – Ricky Rohrbach; Cowanesque Valley – Max Milliard; Hughesville – Dylan McConnell; Jersey Shore – Zeke Sechrist; Loyalsock – Ryan Lingg; Montgomery – Logan Joy; Montoursville – Jacob Schon; Muncy – Nathan Rogers; North-Penn Mansfield – Ryder Breon; Saint John Neumann – Zairek Gohl; South Williamsport – Maddie Pinkerton; Sullivan County – Zoey Reese; Wellsboro – Mason Nowak; Williamsport – Trace Town & Zion Hughes; Williamson – Barrett Heyler.
For Muncy athletic trainer Dan Picarella, the event’s committee leader, it is something he looks forward to every year.
“This is a different way to look at these athletes. We see them at school, and with their academic and athletic achievements, but this is nice because we are not celebrating an injury; rather, we are celebrating that the athlete has worked to overcome an injury. That is what I like to do the best, seeing my athletes return to the sport that they love.”
Among those in attendance was longtime Loyalsock athletic trainer Barb Wertz, who has served 34 years in the field.
“Tonight is all about celebrating kids who have gone through some rough circumstances but have persevered through injury or illness to come back to their sport after rehabbing.
“Each trainer selects an athlete from their school to be honored. Most of us look for a combination of things. They look for one that tends to be surgical or one that has had a strong rehabilitation process. We also look for kids who have approached this with a very positive, forward-thinking attitude. These are kids who have not let a negative event become an obstacle to future success. There are no firm selection guidelines, but I think most trainers select kids who are generally happy, who go through struggles, but can somehow find a will within themselves through their families, faith, and athletic trainers, to move forward, get over the hurdle, and get back on the field or court.
“Over the years, there have been a lot of kids who stick out in my mind. All of us have had that experience. A lot of us have a background as an athlete, loving sports, and some of us have been injured ourselves, and we remember that feeling. Now we have the ability to help these young athletes get back to their former level of participation, and it is the best thing. We are with them when we have to tell them bad news, and my heart breaks. But then seeing them go through the injury and recovery process is indescribable. It is the reward of being an athletic trainer.”
Now in her seventh year as an athletic trainer, South Williamsport’s Chelsea Rieppel echoes the sentiment of her colleagues.
“Tonight celebrates the kids that have had to go through something hard and have pushed through it and made the most of their experience.”
As the backgrounds of all the assembled athletes were presented to the gathering, it became obvious the adversity they had dealt with wasn’t always physical but also involved emotional and mental distress.
“Part of the job is providing a lot of TLC for some of the kids. Sometimes that’s all they need,” Rieppel added. “When you are with them all day, every day, you learn things about them at a level some people don’t get to experience. You see all sides of them, good and bad, and sometimes you may feel like a mother/father figure. To me, that’s a part of the job I really like. In those instances, you are taking care of them as people, not just as athletes.”
In a room filled with athletic trainers coming from varied backgrounds, for Rieppel, the career seed was planted early.
“After my junior year of high school, I attended an athletic training clinic at the YMCA in Muncy. I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I really didn’t know what. The clinic exposed me to the basics of the job, and I loved it. Then, during my senior year, I had some injuries, and working with trainer Stan Smith, I saw how it works day in and day out. That sealed the deal for me as far as pursuing this career path.”
The seventeen honored athletes played different sports, and their injuries varied, but they all had one thing in common — failure was not an option! It was a consummate example to be left for those who will follow in their footsteps.
