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Tennessee athletic trainer Peggy Bratt honored for work

Article reposted from The Daily Times
Author: The Daily Times

There are a number of people fans come to see step on either the field or the court at Alcoa. Peggy Bratt typically isn’t one of them.

Bratt has been the athletic trainer at Alcoa for 17 years, and though her presence on a playing surface isn’t the most welcomed sight, everyone knows that when a player goes down with an injury, they are in good hands.

For all her work, Bratt has been chose along with four others to receive the inaugural CAREacter Star East Tennessee Service Awards.

“It’s very humbling,” Bratt told The Daily Times. “It’s definitely an honor that the coaches and everyone here knows what an athletic trainer means to a program like Alcoa. It’s just really humbling the see that value.

“I strive to do a good job at it, and that they recognize that I do, do a good job is wonderful.”

Bratt was nominated by Alcoa athletic director Josh Stephens and football coach Gary Rankin. Both spoke very highly of Bratt’s work with not only the football team, but all of Alcoa’s athletic teams.

“On and off the field, Peggy gives that peace of mind to school staff, students and parents,” Stephens said in a press release. “Parents, coaches, and myself all work well with Peggy and the team physicians finding them indispensable allies in the care of our student athletes. She is our first line responder to our athletes injuries. Peggy is invaluable to Alcoa high school athletics.”

Bratt is the current vice president and the president-elect of the Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society. She has served on the secondary schools committee, and was the chair of the public relations committee. She was also the Tennessee representative on the Women in Athletic Training committee. She has been a member of the TSSAA wrestling weight management executive committee since 2003 and served on the NATA State Association Advisory Committee since 2015.

“Peggy was there when I arrived at Alcoa High School,” Rankin added. “She is a perfect fit for our program and she means a lot to me personally and professionally. I have total confidence in her. She means as much to our staff and is as valuable as any coach.

“As far as I am concerned, she is the best trainer not only in the area, but the state of Tennessee. If she says a player can’t play, they don’t play. It is totally her call. With all of the emerging safety concerns surrounding football, (heat related illness and concussions) I consider her to be highly trained and most importantly she genuinely cares for every player’s health and well-being.”

Bratt is receiving the award along with Farragut football coach Eddie Courtney, former Oak Ridge coach Winston Russell, official Ken Buchannon, and Grace Christian director of operations Gregg Bostick.