Football staying healthy in the offseason

Bobby Colla

Sports Editor

The football team is preparing to go for another successful season, like their 2014 season, in 2015, and they are getting some help from the training staff.

Keith Thomas, Hudson Valley’s Athletic Trainer, has been working with the team all the way through the season and is still now.

“Just because the season is over, doesn’t mean my job with the football team is over,” said Thomas. The players returning to the team, leaving the team and joining the team all go through Thomas for their athletic health work.

“At the conclusion of the football season, we always try to tidy up any injuries, post-surgical procedures or rehabilitations.”

The players that are returning will continue business as usual with Thomas, but the players leaving and joining the team are different stories.

“The incoming students must provide their pre-participation physical to be eligible to participate,” said Thomas.

“I’m sure those young men coming in the second semester are looking forward to being a part of our spring football practices,” said Thomas. The Hudson Valley program has a spring program that they are very proud of, according to Head Coach Mike Muehling, and they hope it helps them duplicate and improve on their 2014 season.

“A lot of the athletes leaving HVCC are moving on to other institutions that have an athletic training service,” said Thomas about the students exiting the HVCC Football Program. “I try to collaborate with the institutions the athletes are going to, in order to help them understand the athlete’s athletic and injury history,” said Thomas

“I try to help them out as much as I can to make it a smooth transition,” said Thomas.

“Being a two year institution, instead of having four years with the young men, makes it very challenging. We may only have the athlete for a semester or a year, maybe two years,” said Thomas about the students leaving. “I try to be there for them as best I can,” Thomas said.

“Our goal is for them to leave here with a great experience, and allow them to have success and move on to a four year institution, to proceed in their academic careers,” said Thomas.

Even with all the success playing football, Thomas is still more concerned with the players academics he said, “The ‘icing on the cake’ would be to be able to continue playing sports, but our goal is to take care of their health and welfare.”