Gandolfi sports winning attitude as new MHS athletic trainer

inmaricopa.com continues its look at people in the community making a difference. In this interview, we chatted with Maricopa High School Head Athletic Trainer Lisa Gandolfi.

When an athlete goes down with an injury during a contest or they need a little pre-game attention, Gandolfi’s job is to be there on the spot. She has worked in a number of roles, including time at a university, along with working with United States Olympic athletes from the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.

inmaricopa.com: Give us a little background information on yourself, when you started at Maricopa High as a trainer, etc?

Gandolfi: This is my first year as an athletic trainer here at Maricopa High School. I just moved here at the start of the football pre-season, and a few days later, began working. I am from northwest Indiana, just outside Chicago. I have been teaching for 22 years as a physical educator and swimming instructor, and have been in sports medicine for 19 years. I have worked for the University of Chicago athletic programs, covering mainly football and wrestling. I loved every minute of my time there and feel very fortunate to have worked so long with such a great university. I also worked with a world-renowned orthopedist who was magnificent. He is now the editor-in-chief of the Orthopedic Journal. I have also worked in a clinical setting and covered some high school events here and there. I would prefer to be in the trenches, so to say, instead of the clinical setting. I love working with athletes and the everyday duties of uncertainty. It is great to see athletes work hard and overcome injuries.

inmaricopa.com: What is the best thing about your job as head athletic trainer?

Gandolfi: The best thing about my job as the ‘only’ athletic trainer here is getting to know the students not only from the classroom side but from a personal side. We have a very diverse community here and many from very different backgrounds and responsibilities. It is about teaching them to want to be a better person, with integrity and responsibility so that they can function well as a successful adult. Many of them have come a long way and have grown already, just being in our athletic environment, learning how to be a team player. Athletes learn quickly that if they want to move forward, it takes hard work and dedication on their part. I think after four weeks now, they are learning this first hand. Some students listen, are responsible and want to get better. Others want to coast and then come in when it is a much more serious issue. Having a good rapport with all avenues is advantageous. This includes coaches, athletes, parents and administration. Once we can establish this program here, there are so many doors that can open for students in the future.

inmaricopa.com: What is a typical day like for you as head athletic trainer?

Gandolfi: I teach also, so my day starts before the athletic programs do. I have an open training room right after school, and we are still attempting to get this program in full swing. The coaches can send their athletes to me if there is a particular concern, or if they need some type of treatment. I have been particularly busy with football and work closely with each practice and game. My room is open for about an hour, and then I head out to practice. Other programs know that they can find me there, should there be a concern. Practice includes providing enough hydration, proper fitting equipment, on-site injury assessment, and with the injured athletes, I work individually with therapy programs to get them back in participation as quickly and safely as possible.

inmaricopa.com: What is the worst injury you’ve come across in your time as a trainer, and how do you reassure parents that their son or daughter will be fine?

Gandolfi: I have seen many an injury, but probably the most serious was a spinal injury in a football game. We are highly trained in head and neck injuries and handle each injury individually. While at the university, we had an emergency response team plan in order for any situation and access to one of the best hospitals just two blocks away. We always had our team physician on hand. Our athletic training staff was excellent in emergency situations. I feel that the athlete’s health and welfare is my greatest concern. Not everyone will agree with decisions to transport or to refer to physicians, but I feel that with our medical background in sports medicine, we can develop a plan and a most effective means to protect the athlete from further injury or unnecessary harm.

inmaricopa.com: Have you ever had a close call at a sporting event like working the sidelines of a football game where you just missed being injured yourself?

Gandolfi: Certainly! Even though you are paying attention to every down or every play, there will be times when things happen too quickly to react in time, especially in the sport of football. The out of bounds plays can go anywhere. I had a pretty serious injury getting caught up in a play in which I was knocked down, and out, for a moment. It was a very scary time, but my athletes were right there, as well as the other trainer and team doctor. I ended up with a concussion and lots of bruises. I still love the sport though.

Photo by Dave Thomas

If you have a person in town you would like to see interviewed, e-mail us at [email protected].