Erin Abbate

High School Athletic Trainer

By Kirklyn Wilson
Frank W. Cox High School
Virginia Beach, VA
Who is Erin?
● Main athletic trainer at Cox High
School for eight years
● Oversees the athletes at Frank W.
Cox High School
● Assesses injuries and is there for
athletes physically and
emotionally
Daily Tasks
● Foresee athletic practices, games,
and events
● Apply injury prevention devices:
tapes, bandages, and braces
● Recognize, evaluate, and diagnosis
injuries
● Develop rehabilitation program for
injured athletes
● Provide first aid/ emergency care
Students Seeking this Career
● Students interested in a career as
an athletic trainer
● Able to shadow and learn hands
on
● Taught different strategies and are
able to help and assist the trainers
● A weekly rotation to where one of
the student trainers is usually
always in the trainers’ office with
Riley who is here as a student
Erin trainer to learn and help
A Little of My Experience
Together, at a girls
basketball game, where
Erin is ready on standby to
help and assess players.
Luckily, in this game there
were few evaluations.
The Trainers’ Room
My Biggest Takeaway
● Mentor aspect of helping athletes
● Element of being physiologically
there and being more of an advice
giver
● A very emotional component of
dealing with athletes that I didn’t
realize
● Amazing relationships with the
athletes and that one can carry off
the field