VALDOSTA, Ga. ­– Preparing for one of the biggest tournaments of her career, Valdosta State assistant athletic trainer Hayley Widman reflects on her career and the big wins, trials and tribulations she faces alongside the Lady Blazers. 
 
March also marks National Athletic Training Month, spreading awareness about the important work of athletic trainers.
 
Lady Blazers' Playoff Push 
 
Widman works with the Lady Blazer basketball team, assisting players with rehabilitation, treatment and helping the team through every game and practice. The Lady Blazers are preparing for their 2021-2022 playoff push beginning with the Gulf South Conference Championship on March 1, making Widman's work a cardinal asset to the Lady Blazers' team. 
 
"This is my first playoff season at the collegiate level as an athletic trainer," Widman exclaimed. "I'm so excited to watch all their hard work unfold. As a spectator each day at practice, I can say that they deserve all the success. They have put in the hours, and I'm ready to watch it all come to fruition." 
 
Widman has a world of responsibility preparing for the Lady Blazers' post season. She said she's trying to keep the team's rehab and treatment as consistent as possible and is stressing rehab and mental health for the players late in the season. 
 
"We have been playing basketball for quite a while now," she said.  "The players' bodies are obviously going to be fatigued, and it's important to continue being consistent in taking care of ourselves during this time."
 
Widman also said that this basketball season has become one of her favorite memories so far as an athletic trainer. She said the Lady Blazers have gone through quite a bit of adversity but she has been able to see them overcome each setback every step of the way. She also explained that it has been challenging with all of the injuries this year, but nights like the Lady Blazers' 52-51 win against Lee on Feb. 17, have made all of the hard work worth it. 
 
"I love coming to the gym each day and working with such an amazing group of young women," she said. 
 
"Hayley has a really important role on our team because she works the most hands on with our athletes out of anyone on our staff," Lady Blazer head coach Deandra Schirmer said. "She spends the most individual one-on-one time with our players whether that's Sunday rehab or prepping them before games. She's directly responsible for keeping all our athletes healthy and has a close relationship with the players which helps them both physically and mentally, which is vital at this point of the season."
 
From OH to GA
 
Widman is from Monroeville, Ohio, a town with a population of about 1,300 people. Back at home, she lives with her mom, Tracy, along with her mom's family, who all live in Monroeville. She said she played softball year round when she was younger and also enjoyed other sports such as volleyball and basketball.
 
 
"I grew up in a very close-knit community where everybody knows everybody," Widman said. "Growing up and playing sports in Monroeville was amazing. I specifically remember everybody in our community coming out to support my softball team when we won our conference championship my junior year of high school!" 
 
 
Outside of athletics, Widman enjoys working out, reading, and hanging out with friends. She received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training at Bowling Green State University and her 
Masters in Kinesiology from North Georgia University, certifying and licensing her in Athletic Training. 
 
"I wanted to be an athletic trainer because I've always loved the world of athletics," Widman said. "I have always been interested in the field of sport's medicine, but I was never sure what I wanted to do in this particular field until I met my high school athletic trainer." 
 
A Day in the Life 
 
Widman's day-to-day in Valdosta State's training clinic is unforeseeable, just as the industry is itself. She said a regular day in the life for her during basketball season is getting to the Complex about an hour and a half before practice begins to do rehab and treatment with the athletes.
 
During practice, Widman said she's usually doing rehab with injury reserves, while also making sure the athletes have everything they need during drills. Following practice, the Lady Blazers come to the clinic for treatment as well, which includes E-stim, ice, and Normatec boots. She said throughout the day she also sees some of the Blazer cross-country runners for rehab. 
 
"On gameday, I get to the gym about an hour before shoot around to get the girls taped," Widman said on gamedays in TitleTown. "While the players are in shoot around, I begin setting up the sidelines, locker rooms, and visiting athletic training room for the game. I usually finish up with just enough time to watch the traditional game day half-court shot the Lady Blazers do before every game. After the shoot around, we all eat and get ready to come back for warm-ups. Before warm-ups begin, there's time for the girls to come heat, stretch, tape, etc. Then just like that it's game time! After the game, I will clean up everything and shut down the athletic training clinic to end the day." 
 
Learning Experiences
 
With all the positives of winning games and championships, there are equal number of setbacks for the AT staff at VSU. 
 
"One of the biggest challenges I have face day in and day out while being an AT has been learning that I can only control the controllable," Widman said. "It is easy to become stressed and overwhelmed when everything starts getting difficult, but with a deep breath and the reminder to yourself that you are doing your absolute best – I think you can conquer anything!"  
 
Widman said some personal gains she gets from being an assistant athletic trainer is getting to watch athletes better themselves each and every day. She said she gets to be an advocate for the student athletes' mental and physical health, which is something that she's very passionate about.   
 
"My least favorite moment as an AT has probably been the injuries that have kept some of the athletes from playing this season," Widman said.  "It has been tough to watch them sit on the sideline and not be in the game, but it is going to be so rewarding to watch them get back onto the court."
 
Widman said that her transition from Monroeville to Valdosta State has been a challenge but has allowed her to grow and perfect her craft as a professional and hit personal gains. She said it has always been a dream of hers to work at the highest level of collegiate sports and coming to Valdosta State has given her many connections to grow with student athletes and be a vital player for the Lady Blazers.