Athletic Training Room Brings Athletes Together

Spending time in the athletic training room is an expectation for most athletes at this point in the season. On any given day, about half my team is either receiving treatment for minor aches, having their arches taped, doing rehab work, or huddling together in the ice bath, which averages around 48 degrees. Without these services, it's doubtful that so many of us would be running at all at season's end, let alone putting up improved times.

While I value the athletics training room for the services provided there, it's also really nice to be in a room with just athletes. I often hear people on campus talking about "the athletes," like there's some sort of secret club we all belong to. In reality, I wish I had a lot more contact with athletes on other teams than I actually do, but due to the differing schedules of all the teams, combined with my workload, this isn't easily accomplished.

This is where the athletic training room comes in. In terms of physical ability or venue and style of play, we have very little in common with, for example, the basketball or baseball teams. That said, it's kind of neat to walk into the training room on any given day, sit next to a member of the women's rugby team, look across and see a baseball player doing a balance exercise with a men's basketball player, while I'm getting my arches taped by a lacrosse player.

It's always nice when athletes support each other at games, but it's also pretty cool to think that, in a small way, we're helping each other just get into the game, either through active participation, or the silent camaraderie of knowing that other Vassar athletes in different sports are pushing their limits as much as I am.