“To me, being a trainer means growth. You learn something new every day. You grow into a team with the other trainers and athletes. It’s truly something special,” says Paige Rothfarb, who trains for Varsity Football and Baseball at Culver City High School. Paige, now in 11th grade, has been training since her freshman year, and is one of the most passionate and dedicated student trainers at our school.
As a freshman, Paige first heard about sports medicine and training at freshmen orientation. She forgot about it until she saw a friend wearing a ‘sports medicine’ polo. Her friend took her to talk to Mr. White, who is in charge of the program, and an immediate interest in the program was sparked, one from which she’s never looked back.
Paige trains football in the fall and baseball in the spring. Why she chose to train football is a bit self- explanatory if you know Paige; not many people, besides the players themselves, are as passionate about football as she is. Paige also describes training for it as being “the best” since “you learn the most during football season”. As for baseball, Paige also shares a personal connection. Her family has long been oriented around the sport, as her brother has played it since he was 4, and her dad has coached it for many years. She describes her experiences training for baseball as something special, since she has the opportunity to train for her brother as well.
As much as Paige enjoys training, it’s no easy job. Trainers have a lot on their plates as far as responsibilities go. They have to make sure all athletes are taped up before practices and games, they have to bring water to athletes, and they have to be ready at all times during games in case an athlete is injured. When a sports team at our school takes down a rival, or wins a league title, almost all credit goes straight to the athletes. Rarely ever is recognition given to those who do all the behind-the scenes work to actually keep the athletes healthy and able to play- the trainers. But in the end, players are thankful to have the help and support of student trainers like Paige.
Paige, along with many other incredible trainers at Culver City High School, has really found her passion in the sports medicine and training program at Culver City High School. The program hardly gets enough credit for all the learning opportunities it provides. Many students will go on to use these skills in life. In fact, Paige actually hopes to continue training in college, and even to pursue a career in athletic training or physical therapy, all thanks to her experience here at Culver City High School.