When preparing to go out to practice one day after school, you realize you have a tight pinch in your left ankle. Logically, you find yourself leaving the locker room and making your way to the trainer, yet the hallway is flooded with students all attempting to do the same thing – the line for the trainer was derived from collective desires for ice, tape or more serious injuries. The recent extensive foot traffic causes most of these simple tasks to take up to 45 minutes at the Staples trainer this past spring.

Spring sports brought an overwhelming wave of students into the Staples medical training office, causing player delay to practice and concern about the lack of care players can utilize. Corey Iamonico, now the primary and only school sports trainer, battled the influx in the understaffed clinic this season. Tyler Owens, who previously worked alongside Iamonico, left his position officially on Jan. 25.

Iamonico noted that between the hours of 2:45-4 p.m, around 30-50 people come in and out of the small room, who she typically has to deal with on her own. This season, she has seen more than her fair share of girls’ lacrosse and boys’ rugby, in particular, with injuries varying from shin splints to fractured thumbs.

“Spring can be a mixed bag,” Iamonico said. “A lot of our athletes have participated in other sports seasons previously, so they may have overuse injuries from either not getting enough rest, the change of surface, or they may have more acute injuries.”

Abe Lobsenz ’25, for example, runs track and frequently visited Iamonico throughout May to an injury within his hip flexor. He said he had to wait around 20 minutes to get checked out due to the overcrowding.

“The room is always full to the brim with athletes mostly asking for tape and ice, seeking treatment for similar injuries such as my own, or just hanging out there,” Lobsenz said. “Needless to say, waiting 20 to 25 minutes for the trainer interrupted some of my track practice time.”

The issue stems primarily from the loss of one of the cornerstones of the training center, Owens. Iamonico and Athletic Director, VJ Sarullo, however, have been on the lookout for someone to fill Owens’ shoes.

“The most important piece is hiring another athletic trainer to fill the role that [Owens] held over the past few years,” Sarullo said.  “While we want to get someone in place as fast as possible, we also want to take the time to ensure that the person that we bring into the Staples athletic family is the right fit. With that said, Corey and I are finalizing the interview and hiring process that we will follow to eventually hire someone to help.”