Mid-Season Blues

I am going to be real honest.  This is a hard time of year for me as a high school athletic trainer.  We have settled into a routine.  Nothing is new.  The great things about my job are becoming overshadowed by the annoyance of the not-so-great things.  Each day of the week could be a ⌘C and then ⌘P for the next week.  Not to mention the typical things that annoy every AT, but we'll save that for another blogging night.  Here are some ways that I have instinctively started doing to help manage the mid-season blues.  If you face the same mid-season blues, I hope that a few tactics listed below help you out.

Insurance
Remember that if you are extended to your fullest capacity as a healthcare provider, that means that someone is having a bad day...a real bad day.  More and more athletic trainers are called to revive student-athletes every single day.  These situations are life-altering for the AT, the patient, the patient’s family, the team, and the witnesses of the event.  I think that it is safe to say that ATs are insurance policies.  If you employ an AT, you should really hope to never need one.  But, in hoping that you never need one, the AT is doing everything possible to keep it that way.  Enter into the scene:  Prevention.  Prevention pisses people off.  Not a single person likes prevention.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t need laws and regulations to enforce prevention strategies.  Think about it.

Meaning & Growth
Josh and I were having brunch with some great people the other day and I said something that surprised even ME!

I love this ecard

In not so many words I said that I do not feel challenged in my day-to-day- work.  I struggle to feel that I am growing and have meaning.  The challenges that I overcome each day come from life-balancing and managing a workload that looks like McDonald’s at lunchtime but is trying to be treated like a medical facility that it is.  But to be completely honest, my mind is not challenged.  My solution to not being challenged is to take on more responsibilities that satisfy the insatiable desire for meaning and growth.  So, I take on different and more responsibilities.  I volunteer for my church.  I volunteer for professional organizations.  I sign up for ridiculous things like marathons.

Yup, that's me!

I literally create things to do.  When I get involved in something non-work related I find that, although I am doing something different, I am still helping people.  I also begin to appreciate my career more as I realize that I had chosen the field that I most enjoyed.  When my job becomes more about Bandaids and ice bags, you will see me take on another project.  I describe my life as whack-a-mole or too-many-irons-in-the-fire.  This is because I feel the need to have meaning and growth, which is hard to always find in one place all of the time.

Having no Control
For anyone reading this that is not an AT, allow me to let you in on a little secret.  ATs have absolutely no control over anything.  We don’t have a say in practice schedules.  We don’t have a say in game schedules.  We don’t have a say in when and how medical emergencies will happen.  Head coaches can choose to end practice a little early for their kiddo’s birthday or for that doctor’s appointment.  This drives me insane because I have to make an announcement and a plan when I need to step away for a personal matter!  Planning the day is a challenge in itself that is successful only through large amounts of communication and God-shaped coincidences.  I find myself grasping on to the smallest things that I do have control over, like where the water bottles should be stored and that athletes MUST remove their shoes before entering the ATR.  So, I search for ways to have control over certain areas of my life.  Which, by the the way, it does not take long for me to realize that I have absolutely no control over any part of my life.  I am training myself to have no expectations for my day.  If I have no expectations, then I won't be disappointed.

Perspective
Remember that injuries are not as routine to your patients as it may be for you.  Telling a 12 year old that he/she has a grade 1 ankle sprain and should participate as tolerated can come across as invalidating.  For some of these kiddos, this is the first time that they have ever had an injury.  They have no frame of reference.  As painful as it may be for you as the AT, remember that this may be the most painful experience that the youngster has ever experienced, literally.
For example, I was able to attend Capitol Hill Day in Washington D.C. and talked with representatives and their staff about ATs and the legislation being introduced on behalf of ATs across the nation.  One of the staff members that I talked to was from north Texas and was a multi-sport athlete.  When asked if she knew her athletic trainer, she stated that she did (It was Tiffany McGuffin!!!)!  This turned out to be an excellent conversation and following up with her regarding our discussion was improved because of the care that she received from her high school athletic trainer!!!!  Wow!
Moral of the story, treat each patient with the care and instruction that you would want if you were in their shoes, cleats, ballet slippers...you get the idea.  The trust that you build with the athlete and the parent during this time will pay off.  Think about it.

I am interested in hearing how other ATs combat staleness in their careers; some seek more educational degrees, some seek other positions but the most sad of all is when ATs leave the profession that once fulfilled a purpose and passion.

STOP SAYING THAT YOUR PROFESSION IS YOUR PASSION

STOP SAYING THAT YOUR PROFESSION IS YOUR PASSION

First, a vocabulary lesson.

• Passion - a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm or desire for anything
• Profession - a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill 

I understand that the term ‘passion’ is ambiguous by definition, so, as with everything that I post about, this is my opinion.  But let me tell you why I think that it is important to distinguish passion from profession.

Consider passion to be your WHY and profession to be your HOW.
For example, my passion is helping and serving people.  How do I do that?  Through the profession of athletic training.  I also really love to celebrate other people.  How do I do that?  I volunteer on the public relations committee, which allows me to broadcast the great things that athletic trainers are doing across the nation.   

When you believe that a profession is your passion, that indicates that the said passion (and therefore, profession) will bring you joy, enthusiasm, and other strong emotions that drive and guide you along your career path.  Professions CANNOT do that.  Professions CAN be the avenue in which you choose to expose and impose your passion.

If you believe that your profession is your passion, then you will soon make an abrupt exit feeling scorned and underwhelmed because a profession will never give back to you what you pour into it.  However, if you can objectively think of your passion as a WHY, and not a HOW, then you will discover that the very work that you do everyday gives back to you.  Your patient's appreciation, their sooner-than-expected-return-to-activity, their milestone-reaching-moment in rehab, their trust in you…THAT, my fellow athletic trainers, is how I live out my passion.  The intrinsic rewards that I receive by helping people cannot be provided by a profession, it is provided by helping people.

I have as much joy returning a patient back to activity safely as I do when I serve as a volunteer in my church, or donating to the food pantry.  Why?  Because my passion is helping people.  How?  Through my profession, my church, and other service.

Once you take the pressure off of your profession to provide to you intrinsic rewards that you require to know that your passion is being fulfilled, then you may find that your passion is being lived out in every moment of every day, while at work or anywhere else.  Your profession will never give back to you what you give it.  It can't!  Professions are a man-made idea of the driving force of our world today which has morphed into a ranking system with correlated salaries based on what society deems to be worthy of such.  But that is a whole other blog post.

So, get on with your passion!  Focus on your patients, on helping those around you.  Isn't that why you got into athletic training to begin with?  Find the joy in your work that you had when you first started as a student and a young professional.  If you do this, you just might find that your joy and your passion will be infectious.  Others will take notice, especially your patients.  Heck, you may even see that the feeling of burnout disappears a bit.

But what do I know :)

Be like...

Decided to join in on the fun!  Be like Joe and Jane in the ATR...

#NATM2015

Recently, I had the privilege to guest blog for the Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association (SWATA) on the topic of getting involved during National Athletic Training Month (NATM).  I hope that I provided a little different approach to the matter.  Generally, I promote getting involved because it helps that profession and, in turn, helps the individual AT.  For this blog, I chose to promote how getting involved helps the individual AT, and in turn, helps the profession.

I am also excited about the March edition of the NATA News (must be a member to view) and the contribution that I was able to provide.  This issue highlights examples of efforts that anyone can do to promote the profession.  Easy to view icons provide instant information about the amount of time (if any), cost (if any) and the potential impact of each example.  So, if you are just now thinking about NATM, there are are plenty of ways that you can still get involved.

So, let me conclude by wishing a happy National Athletic Training Month to all my dear AT friends!

HAPPY NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING MONTH!!!

2015 New Year's Resolutions

So, my 2014 New Year’s Resolution was “commit to less, sleep more”.  As I look back, I know why my friends found that laughable!  I am a self-proclaimed over-doer, feeling awkward when I don’t have too many irons in the fire.  I even describe my life as whack-a-mole…struggling to keep it all under control.  But when I have the rare moment to “take it easy”, I conjure up some project that never needed to be done in the first place, but all of a sudden becomes numero uno priority. I really wouldn’t have it any other way.
Let’s recap 2014:

My everyday responsibilities as a secondary school athletic trainer include the usual countless hours of treatments, communication, evaluation of policies and procedures, juggling the desire to grow an ATSA program with character and team building while tending to everybody else’s idea of what I should be doing for their individual sport, regardless of being in-season or not.  Beyond the exhausting job of an AT, I went through a staff change with a new athletic director and also a new head football coach change with several other new coaching hires.  I never would have thought that a coaching change would seem as though I had changed jobs…but everything changed so drastically that it did seem as though I did not recognize my previous experience.  This was certainly not all bad.  However, because communication styles and expectations are so different now as compared to before, I had a lot of adjustments that were necessary.  This past year also brought a new desk for the office, which may not seem like a big deal but the previous setup was the opposite of effective and efficient.  There are two of us in a 10x10 space.  Neither of us are large but after many 13+ hour days, the walls start to come in on us like in the Eye of Osiris episode of MacGyver (42:30) where there was extreme tension between the purchase of the desk and the actual installation, #justsayin.  At work, I am also a preceptor to the students in the MSAT program at TAMU and I serve as a member of the Master Schedule team.  

In the profession, I was very excited to see a year's worth of planning and coordination play out at the SWATA 60th Anniversary Celebration.  So many people and organizations made this family night a success and the carnival theme was so much fun!

 I am also very blessed to have served SWATA as PR Chair and know that the PR efforts for Arkansas and Texas are in great hands as Kendall has been a natural transition with new energy and ideas!!!

This past year also provided spiritual growth and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.  Josh and I attended a class at Grace Bible Church that helped us to discover our spiritual gifts.  I found that my top three are "giving," "helping," and "administration", followed closely by "mercy" and "service".  This year, Josh and I were selected to be leaders in the Newlywed/Young Marrieds class at Grace and also lead a small group in our home.  This has been very rewarding and we have enjoyed the friendships that we have made.  

In addition to all of this, I started grad school!  I bit the bullet and was accepted into the UNTHSC MPH program.  I started this little journey in August and hope to be completed sometime in 2016.  Furthermore, I trained for and completed a half marathon!  I signed my twin sister up before she had completely committed to the idea!!!  Funny, right?!?!  We completed in about 2 hours and 38 minutes.  Not bad, huh?  

Then there is the highly anticipated Wienerfest where dachshunds from all over come together to compete in races and a costume contest.  We took home 2nd place in the race and 3rd in the costume contest (it is rigged, we deserved 1st!!!).  

So, as you can see, I committed to more and, in turn, slept less!  So, this year, I have decided to be a little bit more realistic with my resolution.  Drum roll, please....Be more thoughtful and organized.  It is not very bold but certainly will be a challenge for me as I forget to slow down and check on my family and friends.  I also consider myself pretty organized but there are major areas that need attention.  I really want to push myself to run a marathon and, since I am already in running shape, now is the time to work on that!  I also look forward to becoming the NATA PR Chair this year and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity.
I wonder what 2015 has in store for me that I don't even know about!  This time next year, will I be driving the same truck?  Will my house look the same?  Will Josh and I still be head athletic trainers in Bryan ISD?  I bet Tank will have more gray hair and Lucy will be completely deaf.  Nixon will have a 1st place trophy from Wienerfest, for sure.  Will I have any new nieces and nephews...twins, perhaps???  What color will my hair be, and at what length will I have it?  Maybe, by then, I will have finally found the perfect khaki pants that are feminine and functional...but probably not.  Maybe by this time next year, we will have more schools with access to ATs and better working conditions in all settings.  I hope that this next year, through deliberate efforts, I will have deeper relationships with my family and friends and I will resemble a more Godly wife.
Here goes nothing...

More from 2014...

Trent's 30th Birthday Party - 80s themed

Fredericksburg with the Brokes

TAMU vs. Rice with the Wilganowski's

TAMU Tailgating

The rare date night

More Tailgating Fun

Surprise visit to my Twister!

6 on 2, we tied.

The Lewis' treated us to our first small plane ride...very cool!

Meeting Coach Baliff

Spring Break Ski Trip

So, Josh's Vikings play my Rangers this week.

The Vikings are district champs and the Rangers...well, we have overcome adversity in many other ways...and for the first time in seven years, Josh and I will meet up on Friday night on opposite sides of the hash marks.  

Photo by Field Shots

Back when I worked at A&M Consolidated as the assistant AT, Josh and I had a few moments of brief pranking followed with mild retaliation...all in good fun, really.  So, I thought I would share the top 10 pranks and gotchas (in no particular order) that I chose not to pull off:

1. Slop skin lube underneath his truck door handle
2. Switch out all of his blue power-flex for green
3. Flexi-wrap anything and everything
4. Fill his office with green balloons and streamers
5. Shoe polish his windows with "Go Rangers" and such
6. Hide his game shirt, work keys, etc
7. Replace items in his kit with items that are practically useless on the sideline (hair spray for QDA, toothpaste of triple antibiotic cream, masking tape for athletic tape, Flintstone vitamins for Tylenol...you get the idea)
8. Switch out the lock on his sideline trunk
9. Write "Rangers Rule - Vickings Drool" on the back of his head whilst he sleeps (that's even funnier if you have been around here for more than a few years)
10. Replace all of his nice sideline coolers with crappy ones that I have in storage

With that being said, there are still a few ideas up my sleeve regarding how this memorable week will be commemorated.  
As mentioned, Josh and I have a very similar job but, yet, have a very different ending to our season.  Back up a few months...we have both made it through many hot and painful days of practice, which paved the way to the first Friday Night Lights of the 2014 season.  Along this journey, we have both treated injuries that range from the very minor to severe.  Nevertheless, wins and loses began to be dealt out and scouting reports developed into worshiped manuscripts that would hold the key to the next highly sought after win.  There are many components that make one job unlike the other; our coaching staffs are very different, our facilities are less than similar, and our record is just about as opposite as they come.  However, our job remains the same, regardless of any differences aforementioned we are both committed to being the advocate for the athlete, communicating to the coaches, parents and administrators when necessary, documenting, treating, and following up with athletes.  Day after day, night after night, regardless of a "W" or an "L", we set out with the same purpose, to keep kids safe and healthy.  
So, as many seasons are coming to an end and others hang in the balance of borrowed time, secondary school athletic trainers everywhere are doing one of two things, 1.) getting ready to switch gears for basketball or 2.) adding on the additional load of basketball while continuing the pursuit of football greatness.   Regardless of which situation you are in, I think that we would all agree that the patients in our care receive the best care available, win or lose.  
That's all.

How two ATs make it work: September Meal Planning

As you can imagine, being an AT in the secondary school setting is very time consuming.  Meal planning is one of the challenges that we face...especially since we are both ATs.  I know that Josh and I are not the only married couple who are both ATs so I thought that I would share a little bit of what we do to help make things work.  Now, we don't have rug-rats, so that "simplifies" things a bit.  However, we still face the challenges of home and away events as well as scheduling a few times when we can actually eat a meal together.  Many times, I will will pack 3 meals for each of us as we leave the house for the day.  Several days like that per week can be taxing on a marriage!  Most of the time, we can expect to eat dinner together (even if it is late) on Monday and Wednesday nights in the fall.  Another challenge that we face is that Josh has kidney stones and I was recently diagnosed with Celiac.  So, our dietary needs/restrictions can be very different.  Every recipe below is either GF or can easily be adapted to be GF.  

September

Now we are in a routine.  Games have started and each week’s schedule should be somewhat similar.  The only contention would be the occasional Thursday or Saturday varsity football game due to district stadium conflicts.  Since Josh and I share a district stadium, one of us will be away on Friday and the other will be home.  I usually try to cook enough on the weekends to get through the week but sometimes I have to throw in a meal on Wednesday.  Cooking on Tuesday night is hard because of the occasional volleyball game.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Lunch: Jason’s Deli (GF bread option!) Dinner: Pulled Pork	Lunch: Tuna Salad, GF crackers, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: BBQ Baked Beans & Sausage, Potato Salad	Lunch: Turkey Roll ups, Dill Pickle Spears, Strawberries Dinner: Leftover Pulled Pork	Lunch:   Double Dave's Pizza Dinner: Leftover BBQ Baked Beans & Sausage, Potato Salad	Lunch: Tuna Salad, GF crackers, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Leftover Pulled Pork	Lunch: Away Game: Something on the way to the game Home Game: Turkey Roll ups, Dill Pickle Spears, Strawberries Dinner: Away Game: Whatever the team eats Home Game: Coach’s Social or eat out	Lunch: Chicken Spaghetti Dinner: Tailgate
Lunch: Jason’s Deli (GF bread option!) Dinner: Baked Salmon Patties & Baked French Fries	Lunch: Summer Sausage, String Cheese, Peaches Dinner: Leftover Chicken Spaghetti	Lunch: Pea Salad, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Leftover Baked Salmon Patties & Baked French Fries	Lunch:   Double Dave’s Pizza Dinner: Leftover Chicken Spaghetti	Lunch: Summer Sausage, String Cheese, Peaches Dinner: Leftover Chicken Spaghetti	Lunch: Away Game: Something on the way to the game Home Game: Pea Salad, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Away Game: Whatever the team eats Home Game: Coach’s Social or eat out	Lunch: Fajitaritos Dinner: Seafood Creole
Lunch: Jason’s Deli (GF bread option!) Dinner: Western Casserole	Lunch: Turkey Roll ups, Dill Pickle Spears, Strawberries Dinner: Leftover Seafood Creole	Lunch: Tuna Salad, GF crackers, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Leftover Fajitaritos	Lunch:   Double Dave’s Pizza Dinner: Leftover Western Casserole	Lunch: Tuna Salad, GF crackers, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Leftover Western Casserole	Lunch: Away Game: Something on the way to the game Home Game: Turkey Roll ups, Dill Pickle Spears, Strawberries Dinner: Away Game: Whatever the team eats Home Game: Coach’s Social or eat out	Lunch: Spagania Dinner: Tailgate
Lunch: Jason’s Deli (GF bread option!) Dinner: Josh’s Chili	Lunch: Pea Salad, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Leftover Spagania	Lunch: Summer Sausage, String Cheese, Peaches Dinner: Leftover Josh’s Chili & Fritos	Lunch:   Double Dave’s Pizza Dinner: Leftover Spagania	Lunch: Summer Sausage, String Cheese, Peaches Dinner: Leftover Josh’s Chili & Fritos	Lunch: Away Game: Something on the way to the game Home Game: Pea Salad, Red Bell Pepper, Laughing Cow Cheese, Grapes Dinner: Away Game: Whatever the team eats Home Game: Coach’s Social or eat out	Lunch: Last of Spagania & Chili Dinner: Red Beans & Cornbread

Notes:

• GF means Gluten Free
• I make lunches for the week on Sunday and just stack them in the refrigerator.  These are easy to grab on the way out in the mornings.  
• Josh’s Breakfast - For Josh, I make breakfast burritos (original recipe or my adaptation) and freeze them.  Josh will put a package down the night before to let it thaw. He takes them to work and will heat them up there.  
• My Breakfast - I will freeze packets with various fruit.  I will put a package down the night before to let it thaw.  Before leaving for work, I blend the fruit with coconut milk to make a smoothie.