Alum provides invaluable services to alma mater
WALKERTON - In honor of March being National Athletic trainer Month, today we feature one of the longest tenured local high school At’s - John Glenn High School’s tom Bolze.
Bolze, a proud graduate of Glenn HS (’01), later graduated from Manchester College (now Manchester University) in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training and has been working at his high school alma mater for 18 years as an employee of Beacon Health System.
“I feel unbelievably lucky to be supporting and assisting student-athletes at my alma mater,” said Bolze. “I am dedicated to the health and well-being of each and every student-athlete at John Glenn. I am committed to providing the best care possible and always communicating with coaches and our John Glenn parents and families. the support I receive from Beacon Health System is unparalleled. I am close to my fellow athletic trainers and receive the very best in clinical resources and support from Beacon’s sports medicine team.”
As an At, Bolze’s main duties are treating and managing all student-athlete injuries, but “there is no typical day in the life of an athletic trainer and this is what makes the job so interesting,” he said. “Every day looks different depending on scheduled practices and our game calendar. (My responsibilities) include developing, monitoring and administering rehabilitation exercises, so no two days are exactly the same.”
One thing each day does have in common though, is the potential for long hours. there is the school day, plus after school/ evenings/weekends for games and practices.
“I do have to be intentional on finding time to recharge, because if you are passionate about your work, you know how focused you can become on serving others all the time,” Bolze admitted. “We all need time to rest and re-energize to be our best selves. I’m passionate about my work and love what I do. I’m so thankful for the support from my wife and daughter and the fun family time we have together at practices and games. We love the John Glenn community.”
And when school is not in session during the summer, it is still a busy time for sports camps and athletic practices.
“My summer consists of providing medical coverage for all sports practices and home scrimmages,” continued Bolze. “I also spend time making sure sports physicals are completed in time for fall athletics. Summer is also a time when Beacon athletic trainers work with our sports medicine team to stay current on all the latest skills and procedures and remain up to date on CPR/ AED practices.
“Athletic trainers prepare for and practice the treatment of injuries for each sport, before every season. those sports that have more physical contact have the potential of more injuries, whether it’s football, soccer, wrestling or basketball. Baseball and softball also have the potential for injury with high-speed throws and hits from the batter, as well as potential contact at the bases and home plate. As an athletic trainer, it’s important to review our Emergency Action Plan with coaches and other administrators before each game to ensure everyone understands our practices and procedures for treating injured student-athletes.”
One of the perks of the job is a front row seat to all of the Falcon sporting events, but Bolze admits to having a favorite.
“I’m partial to watching football because that’s the sport I played in school, but I truly enjoy watching all sports,” he said.
As much time as Bolze puts into his job, he and his family still find time for recreation away from the school.
“I like to spend time with my wife Emily, our 7-year-old second grader Caroline, and our friends,” he said. “Depending on the time of year, you might find us in our swimming pool, camping, or at home spending time together watching movies. If we’re not watching a movie, I’ll usually find a sporting event on tv. I guess I really can’t get enough of watching sports.
“I feel very lucky to have grown up in this community, and am fortunate to be able to come back after college and serve this community. Knowing that all the administrators, school board members, teachers, coaches - really everyone involved with the schools - genuinely care about our students, makes me proud to be a Falcon.”
And be assured, the Falcon community is just as proud - and thankful - to have Bolze back home.