In the athletic world at Sequoia, many students experience injuries and must rely on the school’s athletic trainer for assistance.
Jeff Wilson, Sequoia’s new athletic trainer, works to offer high-quality treatment to many student-athletes. Some of his treatments include stretching, cupping and athletic taping, among other treatments.

Stretching can help with tight muscles; it can also assist in preventing future injuries because the more flexible one is, the less prone to injury that individual will be.
Cupping and taping are other methods to provide comfort, recovery and injury prevention to athletes.

Wilson also takes the more emotional side of his job seriously.

“I love building a bond with the athletes because I don’t want them to be afraid of coming to my office and asking for help,” he said.

In California, personal trainers do not need to be certified in order to practice, even in schools. Essentially, anyone can market him or herself as a personal trainer under the current federal and state laws, even if they have no qualifications.

In the past, the industry of Personal Trainer Certification has been largely run by private corporations, which are entirely unregulated by any governmental organization or law.
Wilson, though, goes against the often-stated stereotype of trainers being unqualified. He has experience in the field and comes to Sequoia highly qualified and prepared for the challenges of the job. In addition, students have responded well to his treatment protocols and style.

“He is a well-rounded guy who builds a connection with the players while [giving out] critical information for a fast recovery to the students that he is treating,” senior varsity soccer player Chris Leija said.

Wilson is a source of help, advice and guidance for both health issues and personal problems for the student-athletes at Sequoia; he has quickly reported numerous injuries ranging from common injuries that are quickly taken care of to life-threatening situations that could take months or years to fully recover from.

“A couple of weeks ago, I experienced a minor concussion, which could have been worse if it wasn’t for [Wilson.] He pulled me off the field and out of the game instead of allowing me to continue playing through it,” said junior and varsity football player David Tuakalau.

With concussions, rapidity of treatment is one of the most accurate predictors of recovery. In other words, Wilson’s quick action likely helped Tuakalau recover more quickly and successfully than he otherwise would have been able to.