BY NIKOLAS JAMROG, Sophomore
BLYTHEWOOD -- Coach Steve Meisel is the current head athletic trainer at Blythewood High School and also teaches the classes of Personal Health and Sports Medicine.
Meisel was inspired to take on the career in sports medicine in high school and he has not regretted his decision.
“I played basketball in high school and was injured a few times (ankle fracture and sprains). We didn't have a certified athletic trainer at the school so I had to rehab. myself. I really love sports and wanted to have a place in the medical field. Athletic training was a perfect match. I also minored in psychology and the mental aspect has a big impact on sports performance,” Meisel said.
Meisel was very specific as to who he modeled how he approached athletic training after as well.
“My approach to athletic training has been modeled after my college professor and head athletic trainer Gary Reinholtz. He was a great instructor and mentor who taught me not only athletic training, but how to treat the various aspects of the injured athlete (physical, emotional, mental, etc). He was inducted into the National Athletic Training Hall of Fame a few years back,” Meisel said.
Although most people would see the job of head athletic trainer at Blythewood as too much to handle, Meisel was intrigued with the opportunity.
“My interest peaked when I heard that a new high school was to be built in the Blythewood area. I wanted to have the opportunity to open up a brand new high school and be in charge of the athletic training aspect from the start. A few veteran coaches and colleges guided me on my quest and after a few stops at other school's, I ended up at Blythewood,” Meisel said.
In order to become an such a highly prestiged athletic trainer such as Meisel, however, takes a lot of work and college experience.
“You have to graduate from a four year college that is accredited by the National Athletic Trainer's Association. You also have to pass a national certification exam,” Meisel said.
As for how long he expects to be the head athletic trainer at Blythewood, Meisel had a very specific answer.
“Well, lets see. How many years do I have before I retire...? I plan on being at Blythewood High School for quite a while. I have no intention of going anywhere else. I work with great coaches, administrators, teachers, and students and I always feel appreciated,” Meisel said.
Head Athletic Director Coach Vince Lowry agreed with Meisel in terms of appreciation for him.
“We appreciate his effort. He has done an exceptional job at one of the toughest jobs to manage. In my opinion, he has done such a great job at such a huge event that athletic training is. We appreciate how well of a job he has done here at Blythewood,” Lowry said.
Lowry went on to explain also how Meisel’s past experience went into why he hired Meisel for the position of head athletic trainer.
“I worked with him at AC Flora, and he is one of the best trainers in the state, and in my opinion, the nation. He is very knowledgeable with his job and works well with kids and adults,” Lowry said.
When reflecting on his decision of hiring Meisel, Coach Lowry had nothing but positive comments to say about him.
“I feel very confident that kids are safe going back to the field under Coach Meisel’s ruling. We, as a program, take kid safety extremely seriously and we never intend to put a kid on the field that is not physically capable of playing the specified sport. Coach Meisel has done such a great job with this, which is why I’m so confident in him,” Lowry stated.
However, not only Coach Lowry had positive reactions when Meisel’s name was brought up, student athletes had nothing but positivity for Meisel as well.
“He is not only a helpful teacher, but he knows many important things about the body, which is why I have so much trust and confidence in him as both a teacher and athletic trainer,” sophomore soccer player Ellen Sullivan said.
What also comes into effect when observing the assistance of Meisel, is how comfortable a student is when going to him for advice on injuries.
“I was very comfortable when I was injured because I knew that Mr. Meisel was qualified, and I had him as a teacher the semester before soccer season started so I knew how he would approach my injury and I was familiar with how he treated students and student-athletes,” Sullivan said.
