The school bought four new training tables for $3,000 back in April of 2018. The old training tables were simply worn out.

Activities Director Mr. Ryan Schartz believes that the new training tables will help students get treatment faster.

“It impacted students in many ways,” Mr. Schartz said, “It allows all our athletes to get treatment prior to, during, and after practice.”

The trainers also benefit because everything they need is in the training table cabinets. Head Athletic Trainer Ms. Dawna Gilbert wanted to evaluate, treat, and tape all in the same spot.

“They actually impact the athletic trainers more than the athletes,” Ms. Gilbert said. “They (the new training tables) are higher which makes it better for our backs when taping and looking at injuries.The supplies are in each station so we are not having to go to a different place in the room to get more supplies.”

The new training tables have more solid frames. Ms. Gilbert believes the old training tables made it difficult to treat athletes.

“We had been working with very old ones that had lots of holes and were breaking down in other ways too,” Ms. Gilbert said.

Freshman trainer Jo’Nessa Longknife likes that the new tables are comfortable and large.

“We are able to look at and tape more people at once,” Longknife said. “And we are able to store more tape in them. They are comfy and big.”  

Despite being newer and stabler, the tables had to go back for repairs.  Ms. Gilbert feels that the damage was caused by improper use.

“There was broken hinges, cracks in the laminate chipped off and the extension tables were broken and would not slide in and out.” Ms. Gilbert said. “I believe part of it was due to athletes not being careful when getting on and off the tables.”

The funding for the new tables came from the activities department and the training room fundraisers. The newly repaired training tables have been back in the training room for about a month and are fully operational.