Emily Leighton | Staff Writer
Austin Hayes is a senior Athletic Training (AT) and Coaching double major with a Human Performance minor from New Port Richey, Fl. Hayes was named on the Dean’s List for the 2015 school year and is a 3 time letter winner in wrestling.
Hayes is very passionate about athletic training and he finds his responsibilities eventful and filled with knowledge. He enjoys how much time is spent in the AT room behind the scenes and not just on the field. Most times that you walk into the AT room, you can expect to see Hayes helping an athlete.
“Usually people think of us as glorified water boys, but we are much more than that. We make sure we are using the best methods of injury prevention and rehabilitation for the athletes who are injured to get them on the field and keep them healthy,” Hayes said.
Hayes worked with the football team this fall and will be working with students in the spring who need rehab.
Certified AT, Jamie Schoenherr, is sad to see Hayes graduate this year.
“I will miss Austin’s stories the most. He has had some pretty good camping and fishing stories. I do not camp or fish so I really live vicariously through Austin,” Schoenherr said with a smile.
Not only will Schoenherr miss Hayes’ stories and sense of humor, but also how invested he is in the AT program.
“He has a very busy schedule that he has to balance with wrestling, AT, classes, and he works on top of that. Even with all of that on his plate, he is still one of the first students to volunteer for different AT opportunities,” Schoenherr said.
As Schoenherr pointed out, being an AT student can be difficult with all the extra time and effort put into it. Hayes has worked over the years in order to make it all work, and still have time free time to spend with his friends.
“I make sure to manage my time wisely and plan ahead of time. It is hard to make schedules, but it can be achieved. I go to wrestling practice at either 6:00am or 6:30am and then go to my classes. After that I go to the AT room to set up for practice and help the athletes get ready for practice. From there if I either go out to practice with the football players, or leave to go to work. In between all of those things I fit in time for studying and to be with my friends,” Hayes said.
Schoenherr feels Hayes makes up a big part of this senior AT class, and she feels a part will always be missing from the AT room and the sidelines after graduation.
“This senior class is a pretty small, drama free cohesive group. When you’re around them you could swear they are siblings by the way they act. You don’t find that in every class. They have figured out how to work together and when it’s okay to push one another’s buttons,” Schoenherr said.
Photo by Charlie Webster
