High school athletic trainers are the unsung heroes of interscholastic sports and many work countless hours to help young people become the best they can be.
So add dedicated, professional, multitasking and responsive to the word “hero,” and you’ve pretty much summed up Chris Polsinelli, Notre Dame’s athletic trainer.
For nearly 15 years, Polsinelli has toiled on the sidelines, in the weight rooms and in the classrooms of Notre Dame to make sure its student-athletes stay safe, get appropriate care when injured and have access to some of the most state-of-the art conditioning equipment and programs available at any high school in the nation.
That is why his colleagues in Notre Dame’s athletic department nominated him for Training & Conditioning magazine’s 2015 Most Valuable Athletic Trainer Award, which honors professionals at the high school level. And that is why Polsinelli was named one of only 22 trainers in the U.S. to receive special honors from the publication.
“Thank you trainer Chris!” is a phrase commonly heard on the campus of Notre Dame. Whether it is on the turf, at the field, or in a gym, Polsinelli can be seen just about anywhere on the school’s big campus in Pontiac.
“Chris knows nearly every person by name in the 700+ student high school, where 79% of the students play at least one sport and there are almost 200 coaches,” said Maureen Radulski, an assistant athletic director at the school. “He is the kind of person who has the perfect temperament for working with student-athletes. He spends the right amount of time and asks the right amount questions before making his careful evaluation and recommendation,” she added.
Betty Wroubel, who is the athletic director for Notre Dame, said Polsinelli, who was one of 18 trainers across the country earning an honorable mention award from Training & Conditioning, has all of the credentials and then some, and is truly a stand-out in his profession. “He creates awareness in our community by constantly communicating about the dangers of drugs and alcohol,” Wroubel said. “He also teaches student athletes how to prevent injury and stay healthy during the season. What sets him apart from others is his ability to build rapport with others.”
Wroubel notes that when Polsinelli encounters an emergency or high-pressure situation, he takes control and earns the complete trust of the student-athlete within seconds, whether from Notre Dame or an opposing school. “Our coaches, student-athletes and parents have the utmost respect for him,” she said. “He not only cares for the well-being of our own athletes and their parents, but for those of our opponents as well.”
Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.