by Corey Gareri

It is easy to watch an athletic event and notice the athletes who excel on the field, but many people do not understand what goes on behind the scenes to get those athletes healthy and on the field on game days. The man behind the scenes at Earlham College is the Head Athletic Trainer Bill Kinsey. Kinsey graduated from Indiana State University with a degree in health and safety with a specialization in athletic training. He also has a master’s degree in physical education, which he obtained from Eastern Illinois University.The main aspect of Kinsey’s job is getting athletes healthy so that they can get back on the field and compete.

“Bill is a great trainer to have,” said junior football and baseball player Tilmon Clark. “He understands injuries very well, and he knows how to get us back on the field quickly.”

Kinsey’s interest in athletics comes from his playing days back in high school. Kinsey excelled in football and also participated in Catholic League Basketball even though it was not his forte.

Kinsey working his magic.

“My job was to rebound and get the ball to the only kid on our team that could shoot,” said Kinsey. “It was kind of like in the movie Hoosiers when the coach tells the kid not to shoot unless there is no one around him.”

After high school, Kinsey decided he wanted to pursue a career in the medical field but was unsure about spending the next decade in a classroom.

“I wanted to get into medicine, but did not want to go to school for eight to ten more years,” said Kinsey. “I am a sports fan, and athletic training was a good way to combine medicine and sports.”

Athletes of all kinds come to Kinsey for help in dealing with their injuries, whether it is a big injury or just some minor aches and pains.

“Bill is not only a great trainer, he is a friend,” said senior volleyball player Sara Prince. “He is always there for us no matter what the problem is; whether it is serious or minor, he is willing to help us out.”

An average workday for Kinsey begins at 8 a.m., when he arrives in the training room and cleans things up from the night before and checks e-mail. From that time on until lunch, he is busy giving athletes treatment to help them heal from injuries they have sustained during the week. After lunch, Kinsey begins to get things set up for afternoon practices. Not long afterward, many athletes begin making their way into the training room to get taped and treated before practices or games. It is not until about an hour after all teams are done practicing that Kinsey finally gets to head home.

Even after spending years putting in long hours, Kinsey remains happy with his job. After being asked, If he had the choice to work for any sports team, who would he choose, Kinsey responded simply by exclaiming, “The Earlham College Quakers!”