CHRISTmas -- It's not about us...

Today Christmas blog is going to be about a poem... A poem I got from a great athletic trainer when I graduated from grad school, The AMAZING Kelly Quinlin, Head Athletic Trainer @ Northwest!!

An Athletic Trainer's Creed

We accept the responsibility for those athletes, who come to two-a-days over weight and out of shape (Simo), who want you to lie about their height stats (Bev) who can never find their practice uniform.

And we accept responsibility for those; who run slower than everyone else, who are from places we wouldn't be caught dead in (MoMo), who have never been away from home (Myles, Evan, Geoff, Brooklyn).

We accept responsibility for those athletes; who bring in weeks worth of ace bandages (George, Shauni, Steph), who hug us when they are soaked with sweat and blood (JAMAR, Dyl, Dori, Nolan, Matt, Tea).

We accept responsibility for those; who will always sit on the bench (bless Jenna's heart), who will forever play on the "scrub" team (Collin), who will never get their uniforms dirty, who won't ever see their names in the paper, whose names people skim over in the team program, whose skills are lousy, but whose hearts are strong.

We accept responsibility for athletes; who are declared ineligible before they play their first game (boog), who beg for aspirin, but forget to take it (Care), who are always late for treatment (George, Shauni, Nanc, Skums), who lie about taking showers after practice (SAM, beth, ali, basically all w.soccer players), who say they have night class, just to get to dinner on time, who squirm when they have to get dressed up (ME), who tears we sometimes laugh at (sam, george) and who's smiles make us cry (Matt, Chilly, Tea, Tyler, Dyl, Jamar).

We accept responsibility for those; who have feet that always smell (Gates), who get angry for having to sit out at practice (Brendel), who hate going to the doctors (Tyler), whose egos are bigger than their bodies (Case), who never want to be carried off the court, who always want to keep playing, even when their bodies no longer can (Tyler, Austin, Shauni, Mary, Ade, Kate, Still, Tro, Mac).

We accept responsibility for those who want to be the greatest, and for those who truly will be (d.mas, dave, kehrt, blake-o, tyler, lambo, code, d.rabe), ,for those who never give up or quit (Jenna), for those who play hard, no matter what the score (b.hogg, abby, nicky.p).

God grant us the courage to accept those athletes, no matter what size, shape, skill, or personality. Grant us the strength to do our best, care fore them when they are hurt, encourage them when they are down, understand them when they are defeated, celebrate them when they are victorious.