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.

My take on Mentors

The SWATA blog and the BOC LinkedIn have recently centered discussions on mentors and mentoring.  This got me to thinking about who I have looked to when I had an athletic training crisis.  Who do I go to when I have a question about something and need to not feel judged?  So, I started from the beginning...

My mom and, eventually, my dad were my first mentors.  They were not just parents, they were good examples and I looked up to them and also looked to them, especially when I was older, for advice.  

If you were called "Coach" in Kerens, Texas between the years of 1993-2000, you were my mentor.  I watched everything that the coaches did and tried with everything that I had to be what they wanted me to be.    

In college, I was a wandering soul.  I had some low points in which people disappointed me more than I thought was possible.  However, Josh Woodall was there and we were good friends.  He was a senior in the athletic training program and I was a freshman.  I had no experience in athletic training as my high school did not have employ one (we may have contracted an athletic trainer but I do not remember).  My friendship with Josh grew into a strong relationship.  We will be celebrating 12 years of marriage in August!

My first job at a high school was at A&M Consolidated High School as the Assistant Athletic Trainer.  I worked with Jeff Mann who taught me more than he probably knows.  Sue Betts, the Assistance Athletic Director and Head Girls Basketball Coach taught be to be strong and to stand up for myself.  

Now, I am the Head Athletic Trainer at Rudder High School.  I like to say that Josh and I keep work and home separate, which is true for the specific events of the day, however, we discuss at length how to make our profession and workplace better.  Linda Baldwin, the Athletic Office Manager, is a confidant and a friend.  She guides me and always sees the silver lining in any situation.  

There have been several times when the life or well-being of a child were in my hands.  When the crisis is over, my first communication is to my husband and fellow athletic trainer.  

I have been a preceptor for several years now and find it rewarding.  I hope that these students learn from me and become proficient in skills while they are at my facility.  However, these students also bring something to the table.  The students bring with them their experience from several different areas; their undergraduate work, their childhood in a different country, etc.   

When I attend different conferences and workshops, I try to connect with athletic trainers that have not only come before me, but also connect with those that are on my coattails.  When I talk with those who came before me, I soak in their stories and the history that they possess.  When I talk with athletic trainers that do not even have a business card to present, I try to remember when I was in their shoes.  What did I need to know and hear from someone who got through those first couple of years?  So, if I could offer unsolicited advice to the young athletic trainer, this is what I would say:

• Don't work for peanuts; your contract rate should never be below $30/hour.
• Stand up for yourself and be the advocate for the athlete, no matter what.
• Dress professionally, it matters.
• Get involved early in your AT organizations, don't let decisions be made for you without your voice being heard.  

This is my take on the mentors that I have had in my life.   I hope that each athletic trainer has as good of mentors as I have had.