Dec. 6, 2024
By Drew Bancroft
Webmaster
Winter and spring athletes being treated for injuries will notice major changes in the main athletic training room, which is located near the entrance of the girls locker room. Since last school year, it received repairs to its ceiling, in addition to getting new flooring, lighting and a vinyl covering on the wall.
Athletic Trainer Tom Thomas said the changes were long overdue, as the room had last been renovated in 2008. He said the updates resolved some key problems, including a hole in the ceiling that was prone to leaks.
PHOTO BY JANSET ÇINAZ Last year, the main athletic training room was in disrepair with old light fixtures and a hole in the ceiling.
“It looks a little more appealing than last year,” Thomas said. “The better environment leaves me more opportunity to work with athletes, and the space seems more welcoming.”
Thomas said the updates were helpful, but there is still more work to be done. He said one of his main concerns is the temperature in the athletic training room.
“With the ice machine on, it’s so hot [that] I’ve got to shut it down very frequently,” Thomas said. “Maybe [the school] could fix the exhaust fan or make the [air] conditioning in the room a bit better.”
Principal Ms. Vuono said she will look into Thomas’ concern.
Vuono said she supported the improvements made to the athletic training room because it had fallen into disrepair.
“It needed attention and it was not a comfortable environment for our athletes,” Vuono said.
She said she and superintendent Mr. DeCorso decided last spring that it was important to invest money to fix the room, with all work except the vinyl covering amounting to $14,978. Vuono did not provide the cost of the vinyl covering by press time.
“It says a lot to our athletes to know that we care about the space that they’re treated in,” Vuono said.
While Vuono is pleased with these repairs, she said there is still plenty of work to be done. Vuono said she would like to see the locker rooms undergo a full renovation.
“That whole area of the building is very old and [has been] neglected for years,” Vuono said. “We wouldn’t have the money to renovate the whole space, but what we can do is address what we can.”
Junior Lorenzo Bufi, who was treated last spring for a concussion he incurred playing lacrosse, said he is glad the athletic training room underwent repairs.
“It says a lot to our athletes to know that we care about the space that they’re treated in.”
“The trainer’s room was very cramped sometimes and overall outdated,” Bufi said. “I felt it would have been better to be treated in a more up-to-date trainer’s room.”
Bufi said the updates were a worthwhile investment.
“Whenever I had to go to the trainer’s room, it was pretty bland,” Bufi said. “It was beneficial to update the trainer’s room because it creates a better environment for the athletes.”
