Article reposted from Bluebag Media
Author: Gaylen Blosser
Versailles Tigers Athletic Trainer, Taylor James is one of five Wayne HealthCare athletic trainers working for Darke County Schools.
James, a 2011 graduate of Miami East High School played basketball and volleyball for the Lady Vikings.
“I think it’s exciting,” James said of Versailles and Miami East athletic events. “It was always a big rival when I was in high school, so it’s exciting to see who’s going to come out on top because it’s always a good game.”
After graduation from Miami East, James received a four year degree at Wilmington College in Athletic Training and joined Wayne HealthCare to become the Versailles Athletic Trainer.
“I love it,” James said of her association with the Versailles School system. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. I am not somebody that can sit in an office from nine-to-five.”
“I know that I know my stuff,” James said with a smile. “I am there for my kids and that makes me happy.”
“We have someone here that know the kids and interacts with them on a daily basis,” Versailles Athletic Director Doug Giere said of James. “She knows the history of the kid, how they may bounce back and the toughness of a kid.”
“For her to see the kids on a daily basis and for the kids to be around her and get comfortable with her, it’s a tremendous asset for our school and beneficial for our program,” Giere added.
James is pleased to be part of the rich sports tradition at Versailles.
“They are good,” James said of the Tigers’ athletes and teams. “It’s exciting to watch.”
“When my kids go down it’s like I’m their mom…I feel it,” stated James. “I am always worried about them. If I send a kid to the ER and I can’t go with them, the whole game I am thinking about them. I always try to make a point after game if they are still in the ER, I am going to go check on them before I go home.”
James appreciates the support she receives from the Tigers coaches and staff.
“They are great,” James said. “They always are wanting to make sure their kids are at the top of their ability and get back on the court. They are always interested in what they can do better.”
“The coaches back me up if I say, ‘nope he can’t go in,’” added James. “They are like…OK when do you think he’ll be ready to go?”
Many people do not have a grasp of the importance and advantages a full-time athletic trainer brings to a school’s sports program.
“Athletic training is a fairly new profession,” James said. “It’s only been around about one hundred years which is pretty new in the realm of professions. There a lot of people in the United States that have zero clue what an athletic trainer is. They think…oh you give out ice bags or water. They don’t understand that we do have the medical knowledge to provide that care for the athletes.”
“We have a good partnership with Orthopedic Associates of Southwestern Ohio,” Taylor James stated. Dr. Hatic is my Medical Director. He is mainly located in Greenville. I have his personal cell phone number. I can call him and say, ‘I have this…what do you think I should do,’ and he’ll say, we’ll get them in Monday.”
Wayne HealthSports athletic trainers work closely with area orthopedic surgeons, family physicians, podiatrists, and other medical professionals in the area. The goal of the program is to provide high quality athletic training services that will enhance the medical care for our student athletes.
Five Darke County Athletic Trainers work directly under Jim Beyke, Director of Rehab Services at Wayne HealthCare including Versailles, Ansonia, Greenville, Tri-Village and Mississinawa Valley.
“Taylor is in her second year at Versailles,” said Beyke. “She has developed a strong relationship with the coaching staff and the students.”
“We provide excellent serviced right here close to home and we have a good strong relationship with Orthopedic Associates,” added Beyke. “We like to be able to offer those services right here close to home.”