WMHS' Andy Kelly: 'I get so excited about what I do'

For William Monroe High School Athletic Trainer Andy Kelly, a boring sports game can mean a very good night.
"If I'm really bored, and I'm just a spectator, I'm extremely happy," says Kelly, with a smile. "That means nobody's hurt."
But if somebody does get injured, he adds, "I fix 'em."
Kelly, going on his second year as athletic trainer for WMHS, says he is still in love with his job. Athletic trainers like Kelly specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. They can work in a number of arenas: professional sports, colleges and universities, high schools, clinics and hospitals, even in corporate settings and the military.
Kelly himself used to work for the Chicago Fire, a major league soccer team. But he soon discovered that his heart is with kids.
"Working with professionals is not as rewarding as this level," says Kelly.
"Getting (the students) more physically fit is so much fun," he adds. "You see kids who might not be able to jump that high (at first), but after a couple of weeks of training, they can. That is fulfilling to me."
Kelly works closely with the orthopedic surgery team at the University of Virginia.
His arrival in 2007 ushered in a number of changes within the athletic program at WMHS.
Before Kelly was hired, student athletes injured while playing most likely were rushed to a doctor.
Now it's a different story.
"I can take the kid through rehab and still have them involved with the team," says Kelly.
"The coaches love it," he adds. "I take all that burden off. And it makes it easier for the athletes."
Take last year, for example, when a basketball player was hurt.
"I did the rehab here at school, and he was able to get back (in the game) a lot quicker," says Kelly. Sometimes, in rehabilitating athletes at the school, "I have to get pretty creative," he adds.
"For example, if I have a football player almost ready to go back out to play, I replicate (an action on the field), such as trying to cut out of a tackle. I throw tackling dummies at people."
The grueling football season has Kelly on his toes, as the rate of injury during games tends to be higher. A typical week for Kelly during football season is between 50 to 55 hours of work.
But the spring season offers no slack in schedule. As with every season, he is required to attend all home events.
"The spring season is the most hectic because a lot depends on the weather," Kelly explains. "Games get rescheduled frequently."
Kelly adds: " I do like the spring season because I get to be outside again watching the soccer, baseball and softball teams battle for district titles."
And the most common injuries he sees?
Ankle sprains, he says. Wrist and hand injuries, and knees, too.
Kelly, who played sports when in high school and college, knows from personal experience the importance of athletic training.
As a senior in school, he had an automobile accident and broke his wrist.
An athletic trainer helped him rehabilitate.
After high school, Kelly attended Adrian College in Michigan and majored in exercise science. He completed two related internships at West Point Military Academy. At the time, his career goal was to work in professional sports.
While doing just that in Chicago, Kelly "by happenstance" heard about an opening in Greene County. He got Activities Director Katie Brunelle's phone number, and stopped by the school for an impromptu interview. The rest is history.
Kelly created and now teaches two classes at the school - Sports Medicine and Sports Med 2. Most of the students in his classes are school athletes. And the class size is swelling.
"I'm really proud of my Sports Med 2 kids," Kelly said in an interview back in the fall. "They are my student staff. They really love what they do."
WMHS senior Melanie Lamb, in an interview last fall, said Kelly is the one who introduced her to sports medicine.
"I love it now," she said. And because of what she learned, Lamb was able to help a girl injured at a softball tournament last year.
Plus, Lamb added: "It's a lot more comforting knowing an athletic trainer is here. (As an athlete), I don't want to go to a doctor, and I don't want to sit out."
She's not the only one who gives Kelly high marks.
"Andy has been a wonderful addition to the athletic staff here," says Brunelle. "His dedication as well as commitment to our student athletes is phenomenal."
Kelly is certified through the National Athletic Trainers Association, an organization based in Dallas, Texas. Every March, the association sponsors 'National Athletic Training Month, an effort to raise public awareness about the importance of athletic training and to educate people on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. This year's theme: "Health Care for Life and Sport."