Anita Campbell
County Reporter
A player goes down on the field! Who is the first one out there to assist? For Warsaw High School, it is athletic trainer Lisha Douglas. Douglas is on the sidelines for every home game, football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball. She also travels with the football team for away games. It is her job to care for injured players and even at times to prepare them to be transferred to a hospital.
A 1992 graduate of Smith-Cotton High School, Douglas studied athletic training at the University of Central Missouri. She graduated with her bachelor degree in 1996 then received her master in athletic training from UCM in 1997. She went to work for Central Methodist University where she taught and also worked as an athletic trainer. WHS football coach Ryan Boyer was one of her students.
“Lisha plays a vital role in not just the football program, but all athletic programs,” said Boyer. “She has many responsibilities, with her top priority keeping our athletes healthy and giving them the best possibility of performing at their highest potential.”
Douglas came to Warsaw as a part of an outreach contract with Bothwell Medical Center 18 years ago. Last year she was offered a contract with the Warsaw R-9 District as a science teacher and athletic trainer. She teaches physical science and is the athletic trainer for the district.
“We are so lucky to have Lisha here at WHS,” said WHS principal Danny Morrison. “She prepares our kids physically for games as well as taking care of them when they are hurt. We were happy to have her as a teacher as well.”
While Douglas is currently teaching physical science in the high school, she hopes to expand the science department by offering functional anatomy, sports medicine and first aid classes.
Many area schools call on Douglas at times to work because their district doesn’t have an athletic trainer. This past year Douglas was hired by the Versailles and Sherwood School Districts to work during their wrestling tournaments.
Douglas became interested in athletic training when she was a freshman in high school in Sedalia.
“I looked up to a senior volleyball player who wanted to major in sports medicine so I became interested as well,” said Douglas. “Now my daughter is majoring in athletic training as well.”
Douglas is the mother of a 23-year old daughter Taylor who is a college student and a 21-year old son, Ty-Kristofer, who is a Marine stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Douglas commented that the worst part of the job is when a student-athlete is badly injured.
“I had a junior varsity football player who suffered a paralyzing injury which affected his leg from the mid-thigh down and it took him over a year to completely recover,” she said.
“I love the students and community here in Warsaw,” said Douglas. “I enjoy watching the students grow up and fulfill their dreams.”
National Athletic Training Month is celebrated every year in March. It is celebrated in recognition of the expertise and efforts of athletic trainers across the globe and is dedicated to all those who play a vital role in the development and health care of athletes at various levels. It is common knowledge that not everyone has the capacity to be an athletic trainer. However, those who take this job seriously and give it their all — and train athletes who go on to win awards and medals at different levels — will say that it’s the most rewarding job in the world. So, as per the instructions of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the entire month of March is celebrated as National Athletic Training Month.
