Athletic Trainers Succeed Amid Start of Fall Sports Season
By Tatum Lee ’29
As the 2026 fall sports season gets underway, the success of Milton athletics is closely linked to the work of our athletic trainers. They are committed to supporting the community, ensuring that athletes remain safe throughout their development.
Tucked into a small office at the back of the Athletic Convocation Center, Milton’s team of athletic trainers serves every team five days a week. Jennifer Bonn, Head Athletic Trainer, explained that the office has recently seen “90+ students coming in within three hours.”
During these busy afternoons spent wrapping ankles and icing sore knees, the Athletic Training Center provides athletes with a wide range of treatments and recovery resources. For now, this includes cupping and compression therapy, but improvements are being made towards maximizing the efficiency of recovery for athletes.
For example, this year Bonn made commitments to extend her working hours, allowing more opportunities for recovery and treatment. These additional hours help student-athletes manage their schoolwork and recovery in a way that best suits them. Bonn shared that a physical therapist visits the Training Center twice a week to help recovering athletes and educate them in orthopedic clinics.
Coach Steve Darling, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Athletic Trainer, highlighted his growth in patience as a trainer and strength and conditioning coach. As someone who works with students in the rehab process, it is important to recognize that it takes immense patience and understanding to guide someone through what is a typically long and sometimes grueling process. Ultimately, Darling found satisfaction in “seeing how hard [students] work to get to [recovery] and then the joy they get when they return to their sport, you feel like you played a role in that.”
Darling also emphasized his concerns about the influence of social media on how athletes approach the process of recovery and exercise. “Kids have way more access to seeing different styles of training,” he explained. “There’s a lot. Sometimes, kids are motivated by what they see. Some of it’s not always good, some of it can be dangerous, and some of the content that’s out there is by folks who don’t really have an educational background.” Darling sees himself as a reliable source for students throughout their exercise and recovery journeys, emphasizing the importance of correctly knowing the “why” behind everything. Darling is confident in building a positive training culture, especially emphasizing training the right way: everything from a proper warm-up to proper conditioning and technique.
Beyond providing general physical assistance, Milton’s trainers strive to support the community as more than just a familiar face but also dependable caregivers. When asked what makes the trainers at Milton so special, Varsity Football player Johnny Heller ’29, who had recently been on concussion protocol and making numerous visits to the Athletic Training Center, highlights how he’s come to love the trainers’ effort in “[getting] to know and connect with the students.” He notes that he doesn’t “think you could find such a kind and friendly staff anywhere else.”
Like many systems and departments in Milton Academy’s facilities, the Athletic Training Center is more than what meets the eye. Many times those who are working hard to put the students first are not rewarded or recognized as the heroes they should be made out to be. Those who have been aided, taught, corrected, and helped by our phenomenal trainers should take a step forward and give thanks to those who work tirelessly to meet the health needs of countless students and athletes alike. Heller stated: “Thank you! On behalf of the entire Milton athletic community, and in extension the collective Milton Academy community as a whole, your hard work and dedication is a fundamental contribution to our success, and we couldn’t thank you enough for it.”