Straight Out of Wyoming

Jessika Nelson

Alan Hill and Jerry Schlabs keep an eye on the runners during a cross country meet. Mr. Hill is the new athletic trainer at East High.

Josh Ash, Asst. Sports Editor

A young and new talent hit East High this year. Alan Hill grew up in Lingle, Wyoming, at a small high school that didn’t even have a trainer to call their own. He went off to college in Texas, where he studied the human body and its movements. He saw how strong the athletic training programs were across Texas, so he wanted to bring that type of skill back to his home state of Wyoming. Before the 2015-2016 school year. Alan Hill was hired as the Thunderbirds athletic trainer, and he plans to stay at East for as long as he can to provide us with his best service.

‘I’d like to say that I’d be here,” said Alan as he discussed his ideal future. “I want to continue to develop this program and work with coaches and athletes and other health care providers throughout Cheyenne. I enjoy working with the coaches and athletes here at East. Everyone has been nothing but welcoming toward me.”

With an unfamiliar face in the community, establishing a trust with the athletes and students might be a challenge. Many students have worked with Alan one-on-one. Varsity football kicker Quinn Hunt believes Alan is a positive addition at East.

“I’ve only worked with him a couple of times,” said Quinn. “I think he is going to be a great addition to this establishment.”

Having a superior knowledge of how the human body functions is key. Several student athletes this year have gone to Alan for advice on various injuries. The talk is he is nearly perfect with his diagnosis on the injuries, which contributes to the relationship and trust with the students and people around him.

“I see him being here for a while,” said student-athlete Jayden Estorga. “He seems very laid back, and I think that’s a good quality to have for a job like that, but of course he’s still aggressive when he needs to be.”