When varsity football player junior Jake Sickels injured his Iliotibial (IT) band, Ashley Hull, CHS’ new athletictrainer, helped him learn stretching techniques to heal his injury.

“She told me how to [care for] my injury at home, and suggested whether to use ice or heat,” Sickels said.  “If [Hull] wasn’t here, it probably would have taken me a week to recover, but she helped me, and I was cleared to play again in three days.”

Hull was hired as an athletic trainer in October, a position the athletic department has been looking to fill for about two years.  Hull’s role at CHS is to attend sports games with the intention of treating injured athletes and assisting student athletes with their treatment and prevention of injuries.

According to athletic director Dave Kelley, previous trainer Kim Yost left CHS because she got a new job, and the demands for her time at the new job did not allow her to continue.  At the time, there were initially no qualified candidates who were available during the required hours necessary to fill the position.

Prior to working at CHS, Hull attended Marietta College where she was a student athletic trainer for the football, women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s soccer and basketball teams.  After college, Hull was the athletic trainer for the Washington Freedom women’s soccer team.

Hull’s main role as the athletic trainer is to prevent athletic injuries from occurring by taping and bracing athletes before physical activity.  In addition, Hull educates athletes on proper hydration levels, warm-up and cool-down techniques as well as proper times to ice and heat injuries.  Once an injury has occurred, however, her role is to then properly assess, treat and rehabilitate that injury.

“I hope to benefit student athletes at CHS by relieving their pain and by helping them maintain overall healthy lifestyles,” Hull said.