Carolina West Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Carrie Powell supports health and well-being of hundreds of Swain County student athletes

10/8/2012

Carolina West Sports Medicine Certified Athletic Trainer Carrie Powell serves as the sole athletic trainer for the Swain County School District as part of Carolina West Sport Medicine’s outreach program to area public schools. Here, Powell can be seen assisting a Swain County High School football player during a recent game.

Bryson City and Sylva, N.C. – As part of Carolina West Sports Medicine’s outreach program to area public schools, certified athletic trainer Carrie Powell serves as the sole athletic trainer for the Swain County School District, supporting the health and well-being of hundreds of student athletes.

“I like the challenge, but more than the challenge, I love what I do,” said Powell, who also is trained as a paramedic. “I love working with the kids. I love being able to see them if they have an injury and then see them through the healing process.”

Powell spends most of her time with student athletes at Swain County High School where she serves as the year-round athletic trainer for all of the men’s and women’s sports teams.

Powell is part of Carolina West Sports Medicine’s outreach program of certified athletic trainers who provide coverage for Cherokee, Smoky Mountain, Swain County and Robbinsville High Schools, as well as Blue Ridge and Highlands Schools.

Athletic trainers work with athletes in team and individual sports to prevent injuries, provide immediate treatment of injuries that occur during athletic contests, and help athletes rehabilitate from injuries, Powell said.

In the fall, Powell works with the volleyball, junior varsity and varsity cheerleading, cross country and soccer teams, and the junior varsity and varsity football teams. Her primary focus during the fall is on the Swain County High School football teams, which she said have about 115 players.

In the winter, Powell’s duties involve the junior varsity and varsity cheerleading and junior varsity and varsity basketball teams, and the wrestling squad. And in the spring, she focuses on the baseball, softball, golf, and track and field teams and club soccer.

Daily tasks Powell may be involved with as the Swain County athletic trainer include helping develop training programs to prevent injuries and rehabilitation programs for injured student athletes, giving advice about the use of protective gear and training equipment, making sure student athletes are well-hydrated, and dealing with potential emergency situations like allergic reactions to bee stings.

“It gets to be a little bit of a juggling act,” Powell said. “It can be challenging at times. But I like it because every day’s a little different.”
As a child growing up in Georgia and California, Powell was heavily involved in sports, playing soccer and softball and running cross country. She remembers injuring her knee playing soccer in high school and there not being an athletic trainer available.

This experience fed Powell’s interest in sports medicine as a career. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and sports medicine from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory and a bachelor’s degree in emergency medicine from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

While at Western Carolina University, Powell began working with Carolina West Sports Medicine. When she’s not heavily involved with her athletic trainer duties for the Swain County School District, Powell said she assists Carolina West Sports Medicine with their orthopedic clinic, primarily in the summer.

Powell said her work helps student athletes excel in their sports, but she said being an athletic trainer is “not just about the game.”
“It teaches you about life and teamwork and dedication,” Powell said. “And it’s neat to be able to be with the kids and get to know them on a daily basis.”
Powell also said she always encourages the student athletes she works with to follow their dreams.

“One thing that comes to my mind that I often tell my student athletes is – regardless of your career choice – follow your dreams and go after something you enjoy because,” she said. “A lot of people said I shouldn’t go into sports medicine or paramedics, but I told them to watch me, and I’m glad I did because I wouldn’t be as happy as I am today if I hadn’t.”

Carolina West Sports Medicine provides a full spectrum of sports medicine coverage with doctors, physical therapists and other healthcare providers specializing in orthopedic and sports medicine rehabilitation.

Carolina West Sports Medicine is in Suite 101 at 80 Healthcare Dr. in Sylva. Its physicians' clinic is in the West Entrance of MedWest-Harris in Sylva and is staffed with orthopedic surgeons who evaluate sports injuries. Its physical therapy clinic is in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University. The practice also provides team physician coverage to Western Carolina University.

Learn more about Carolina West Sports Medicine by visiting http://carolinawestsportsmedicine.com or calling (828) 586-7934.

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