The tradition of Vero Beach High School athletics is legendary. Coaches and athletes from all sports are competing at the highest level day in and day out trying to be the best they can be. With such a high level of commitment comes the ever-present possibility of injury. And luckily for the athletes and coaches Athletic Trainer A.J. Bewersdorf is on staff.
In his nine years as athletic trainer at Vero Beach High School, Bewersdorf has seen an array of injuries and spent countless hours diagnosing, rehabbing and consoling student athletes. “This is part of who I am,” Bewersdorf said. “Being a former athlete myself and the love for taking care of human beings and fixing problems and trying to make the human machine perform its best is why I chose this particular field.”
Vero High has produced several athletes who have gone on to play in college and even professionally. Bewersdorf said that adds to the atmosphere and excitement in the athletic program. “Simply put you get to work with athletes that are working and striving as hard as they can to become the best that they can be,” Bewersdorf said. “We want to work with the best of the best and here is where they are. It’s been a fantastic joy of my life to be a part of it and I’m very thankful for it.”
Athletic trainers are most often recognized for taping ankles, applying ice and hydrating athletes, but Bewersdorf said his job goes beyond the physical aspect of sports injuries. “A lot of times, some of the younger kids think they need every bump or bruise looked at,” he said. “You have to convince them that they are tough enough to take some of the normal stuff that goes along with playing sports. You encourage them the best you can and let them know they will be ok.”
One of the most challenging aspects of being an athletic trainer is getting the kids to buy into the program you have put in place or get the coaches to understand the timetable of a player’s injury. “It is very similar to how coaches try to get players to buy into their coaching style and what they’re doing – if they believe it and do it, it will work,” Bewersdorf said.
“Another big question is when do you return a kid back to play. Can he/she go and are they 100 percent? I try to encourage our athletes and let them know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
When teams win state championships, the athletes’ photos are all over the news and they are rewarded with trophies and rings, but Bewersdorf said he prefers to remain behind the scenes.
“I want the kids to get the accolades that they so deserve. They worked hard for it they should get it,” Bewersdorf said. “I’m fine and dandy to watch from the sidelines and it fills my heart with joy to watch them have the success that they worked so hard for. That for me is a huge sense of fulfillment.”
