Athletic Trainers – Part of the Team

We take our high school sports seriously here in Rutland County. Just ask any parent or grandparent of school aged children and you will most likely hear a list of statistics or view an at-the-ready calendar of upcoming event dates. With schools back in session many of our favorite school sports are already in full swing and that means the iSport Team at the Vermont Orthopedic Clinic at Rutland Regional Medical Center is already involved and working with many of the high school athletes.

The iSport team, consisting of certified Athletic Trainers (AT) Tyler White and Matt Howland, provides medical coverage to local high school sports teams throughout the region. To keep up with the growing need, the iSport team recently added two new certified AT, Tony Altobell and Joseph Gaspar.

Tony Altobell has been a certified Athletic Trainer for 7 years and has experience in both the high school and collegiate setting. He will be primarily covering sports for Otter Valley Union High School. Joey Gaspar recently graduated from Vermont State University at Castleton and will be primarily covering Mill River Union High School. With these additions Matt Howland will join Tyler White at Rutland High School.

In addition to covering their high schools, the team of athletic trainers also provide services for Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Killington Mountain School and Okemo Mountain School as well as being a resource for many other high schools in southern and central Vermont.

Athletic Trainers are highly qualified health care professionals who specialize in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation and management of injuries as well as concussions. The broad educational background that athletic trainers receive allows them to be an intricate resource to athletes of all ages and skill level. Beyond just helping recover from injury, athletic trainers can help create beneficial workout routines, give nutritional advice, and provide support to athletes which can positively impact an entire team. In addition, athletic trainers work directly under the supervision of a physician. This can assist with getting injured athletes the advanced care they may need in a timely manner.

Athletic Trainers tend to develop closer connections to the athletes than coaches, which can be important for the health and well-being of the athlete. Many younger athletes have a fear of going into detail about certain injuries or personal issues that they may be dealing with. Sometimes this is due to fear being benched, not making a team, or not playing the number of minutes that they had hoped. By having a healthcare professional to communicate with, the athlete and athletic trainer can develop a plan that is the best choice for both the player and the team.

Here’s to a healthy sports season for all our high school athletes.