Jan. 13, 2026
By Zahara Chowdhury
Editor-in-Chief
This piece is part of a five-part in-depth reporting project about healthcare.
The moment the final school bell rings, junior student athletic trainer Mariam Selim heads to the athletic training room near the entrance of the girls locker room.
On a typical football game day, she wraps wrists and tapes fingers before putting on her athletic pack and heading outside. Once the game begins, Selim keeps a close watch on the field.
“It’s all eyes on the game,” Selim said. “I get the joy of watching and being on the field, but it’s also a matter of making sure somebody’s not on the floor for longer than they should be.”
“You have to be able to comfort them and tell them that it’s going to be okay.”
Selim, a two-year member of the Student Athletic Training Club, which is advised by Athletic Trainer Thomas and school nurse Schlameuss, said she joined the club to get more involved in the community and prepare for a career in pediatric sports medicine.
“This role gives me so many different opportunities, as I get to see what goes on with Trainer [Thomas] and what goes on on the field. I also get to interact with so many different doctors, [including] doctors from the other teams [and] our team doctor, Dr. [Casey] Pierce,” Selim said. “So while I get to see the athletic training part, I [also] get to see orthopedics [and] all the different realms. It really helps me clear the path for what I want to do.”
Selim said being a student athletic trainer has taught her about the emotional toll injuries take on athletes.
“Their life is sports, and when something threatens that, it makes them really nervous. I’ve seen a lot of times where [athletes] start crying because they’re so scared they’re not going to be able to play. You have to be able to comfort them and tell them that it’s going to be okay,” Selim said.
She said she handles high-pressure situations by remaining calm and seeking support from others.
“Sometimes you think you have to know what you’re doing, but I’m learning,” Selim said. “The biggest part [of being a student athletic trainer] is just remembering there are people who know what’s going on. There are people who can help.”
While the Athletic Training Club has been around since 2008, this is the first year that members who volunteer for at least 75 hours are eligible to receive a varsity letter.
Selim said she is excited about this new opportunity.
“It’s an amazing change that I think is great, as we get the recognition for putting in hours and hours of work,” Selim said.
Thomas said the club, which came about in response to a group of seniors who used to visit the athletic training room during their senior privileges while Thomas was there helping other students, was fairly unstructured in its early years.
“Before, there was not much training. [Student athletic trainers were] setting up the ice and water for the games. Now, they do first aid and help with the stretching,” Thomas said.
He said having student athletic trainers on the sidelines allows for quicker responses to injuries.
“They are, to me, the eyes and ears. There are so many [players], and it’s hard to see all of the injuries,” Thomas said. “When I’m taking care of somebody [else], they can see what’s happening, and they can tell me what’s going on.”
Senior Habiba Abdelgalil, a three-year student athletic trainer who aspires to become a dentist, said student athletic trainers are responsible for a variety of tasks, including organizing supplies, reacting quickly during games and assisting with severe wounds.
“A lot of players think we just give them the water or Gatorade, but that’s not what happens. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes,” Abdelgalil said.
She said she is proud of the progress she has made in remaining composed during critical instances.
“My first ever [basketball] game was really intense,” Abdelgalil said. “I didn’t deal with it as I wanted to, but then, over the next two years, I’ve [stayed] calm and always [kept] my gloves on. I learned to work well under pressure.”
Abdelgalil said her favorite moments in the club are when she and the other student athletic trainers bond.
“When the athletes are practicing, or when we have free time, [the trainers] work on each other. We wrap each other’s wrists, and we wrap each other’s ankles to work on our skills,” Abdelgalil said.
During last basketball season, three-year varsity member senior Sam Ijeh suffered a shoulder injury. He said Abdelgalil, whom he has known since their freshman year, helped him by wrapping his shoulder.
“Trainer [Thomas] would tell Habiba to get the right equipment to help me [and] showed Habiba how to wrap my shoulder,” Ijeh said.
He said these types of actions help athletes stay healthy during practices and games.
“I would be spending a whole week trying to figure out something wrong with my finger or something [else], and [athletic trainers] just instantly see what’s wrong with it,” Ijeh said.
He said Thomas and members of the Athletic Training Club deserve the athletes’ appreciation.
“Without them… if you get hurt, who’s going to treat you? You’d have to go to urgent care every time, [but] you have an urgent care here,” said Ijeh.
