Ben the Athletic Trainer

PCHS Bulletin - McKayla Kvapil 

The role of an athletic trainer is vital for a working athletic department. Athletic trainers can provide many different services for student athletes, consisting of prevention, assessment, evaluation, emergency medical care, and rehabilitation of injuries.  

This role at Parrish Community High School is filled by Ben Morse. He is the person that provides medical care for the athletes while also traveling with the football team. Since football is a contact sport with the highest percentage of catastrophic injuries, it is policy that he travels with the team. The presence of Morse at a football game reduces the chance of something horrible happening to the players. 

Morse also tries to go to all the home games for the other sports. But for the ones that are off campus, like swimming and golf, he usually tries to communicate with the coach about any problems or if he may be needed at the event. 

“The main injury we see in swimmers is shoulder pain. I often communicate with Ben via text to coordinate meetings with swimmers or get advice on better stretching methods to incorporate during practice to prevent injury.” said Courtney Lancaster, one of the swim team coaches. 

One key thing for Morse is that he tries to be a positive role model to the athletes as well. 

“High school athletes have a lot on their plate, and I try to be someone they can come to talk about issues on the field or off. I try to be the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines because, a lot of times, the athletes just like to see people they know encourage them.” said Morse. 

His work starts right after the school day. Once all the student athletes start to get ready for their practices or games, Morse is on the go. In his room, many athletes line up to get wrapped or anything else they need done before their training. Some stay in his room to use the bike, some sit on the beds with the heating pad, while others are evaluated for an injury from the previous day. 

Many students ask Morse how to prevent injuries, and he states that there are multiple solutions, but the main one is usually disregarded. At least six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is vital for recovery or an injury. As many of the student athletes are very busy throughout their day, they forget about one of the most important factors of staying safe from injury. 

Morse has done many things to help all the students and athletes at Parrish and does it every day. So, it is very important that we thank our athletic trainer for all the hard work he has done to make sure everyone is healthy and safe.