North Allegheny senior applies Sports Medicine skills with football team

North Allegheny senior Clara Stover had the best seat in the house during the football team’s WPIAL 6A Championship run and journey to the state finals – a field level view for everything that took place.

She also took on a fair amount of responsibility.

Clara, a second-year student in A.W. Beattie’s Sports Medicine program, has assisted the team’s athletic trainers for the last two years to gain more experience in the trainer’s room and on the field.

“This opportunity has meant so much to me,” Clara said. “It’s one of the most important things I’ve ever done.”

The opportunity arose for Clara to assist the team’s medical staff and players following a job shadowing experience in her junior year. She has since attended every game and many practices.

“I was so happy when the head trainer asked me if I wanted to come back every week,” Clara said. “I said, ‘definitely.’ I was so excited.”

After mostly observing the football team’s medical staff in her junior year, Clara did modalities and wrapped ankles and wrists for up to 20 players each game, all with trainers overseeing her work, during her senior year.

Her goals were to do it correctly and efficiently. She also made sure to ask trainers questions while she worked.

“I always want to find ways to help,” Clara said. “The more questions I asked, the more I learned how to help them.”

Clara’s work assisting the training staff only began during pregame preparations.

During each break in action throughout a game, she observed players for cuts, limping, or any other signs of an injury.

“I learned the way certain players move if they don’t feel well or certain places on the sideline they’ll go to if they don’t feel well,” Clara said. “If our trainers have their eyes on the field, sometimes I’ll keep an eye on the players on our sideline. If they are taking care of a player on our sideline, I’ll keep my eyes on the field to observe any possible injuries. We have a lot of trainers and doctors, so it’s never just me observing players on the field. And then, if I do notice something, I’ll alert our trainers so that they can evaluate someone.”

Clara also observed player evaluations.

“Learning at Beattie has helped me understand what is happening during player evaluations,” Clara said. “I’m not just watching and then being told what is wrong. I’m able to have conversations with trainers about evaluations which helps me learn more.”

Clara became interested in possibly becoming a physical therapist or athletic trainer for several reasons.

“I couldn’t imagine my life without sports, but at one point I did run into a string of injuries,” Clara said. “I learned a lot from those experiences about different exercises and weightlifting. That really piqued my interest. My mom also was a PTA, and it was always interesting to hear her talk about that type of work.”

Clara learned about the Career Center’s Sports Medicine program in her sophomore year and joined to get a jumpstart on pursuing a career in the field.

“Mr. Cowger and Mr. Vtipil, (A.W. Beattie’s Sports Medicine instructors), are always really helpful,” Clara said. “I know so much of what we are learning I will have to do in college so that’s going to be a big help. Being in the Sports Medicine program and helping North Allegheny’s athletic trainers are the most impactful thing I’ve ever done in school.”

Clara plans to play softball in college while pursuing a postsecondary education in the Sports Medicine field.