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Meet the Team: Brittany Arnold
December 17, 2015 03:43 PM | Wrestling
Over the next few months, we’ll be profiling the team behind the WVU wrestling team – the coaches and staff members who play an integral part of preparing the Mountaineers each season.
For most sports, teams hope that athletic trainers never have to leave the sidelines during a competition. Though a crucial member of the support staff, their presence on the field, mat or court once a game has started usually means someone is injured. For WVU athletic Brittany Arnold, and others who cover wrestling, there’s no hiding.
Wrestling athletic trainers are front and center for the start of every competition and are an integral part of a wrestling meet. A physician or athletic trainer examines every athlete for communicable skin diseases prior to the start of the match or tournament. Medical professionals also oversee weigh-ins one hour (two hours at tournaments) before every match, assuring the wrestlers have met the weight qualifications necessary to compete. If a wrestler does not pass a skin check or fails to make the appropriate weight, they may not compete.
“I am always relieved once we get through skin checks and weigh-ins on match day,” said Arnold, who is in her sixth season at West Virginia. “You never know what’s going to pop up, or maybe the athlete didn't even know he had a skin disease. So if he does have a skin issue, he needs to have a signed doctor's note saying that they have been treated, if not he is disqualified.”
Medical professionals involved in wrestling must be skilled at recognizing skin diseases and determining the difference between general flaws in the skin and an infection, particularly as they examine athletes from the opposing team. It’s also crucial to diagnose and treat skin issues properly so that they don’t prevent an athlete from stepping onto the mat. However, as with other aspects of the sport, outbreaks of skin diseases have become less common as the NCAA has instituted stricter rules for weight management.
“Honestly, in the past two years I’ve seen a decrease in these outbreaks because they are not cutting weight drastically,” said Arnold. “Anytime their immune system is suppressed; they are stressed from classes, personal life or wrestling, or (they make) a very large weight cut - it never fails. Someone will breakout. However, since Coach (Sammie) Henson makes them keep their weight under control throughout the whole season, I have seen a significant decrease in skin diseases.”
Aside from weigh-ins and skin checks, athletic trainers also deal with a wide variety of injuries when it comes to wrestling. One of the most fascinating aspect of watching a wrestling match is the various positions the wrestlers can get into – and how they get out of them. The twists and turns can be unnatural, and trainers get to deal with the fallout. In addition, an athlete who is not eating and hydrating properly in an effort to make a certain weight is more susceptible to injury and will have a harder time healing.
“Unlike other sports, which are mostly lower or upper extremity dominant, wrestling is both,” said Arnold. “I see a wide range of injuries from an ankle sprain, to a meniscus tear, to shoulder labral tears, to neck injuries. It literally effects every joint in the body. Because of the nature of the sport, wrestlers tend to have more lax joints that allow them to be able to get into a position, for example, where their knee is in a figure four position. In most sports, that would tear their LCL, but for them, that is normal and they can get in that position a hundred times without suffering an injury. It's definitely very unique and their bodies learn to adapt to certain situations.”
One of the most challenging parts of dealing with injuries is the length of the season. Like basketball, rifle, track & field and swimming & diving, wrestling is a two-semester sport that spans from the beginning of November through mid-March. A student-athlete who suffers a minor injury in December may not be able to fully rest and recover until April, and even then, will get a limited amount of off time compared to other sports.
“It’s a long and brutal season. Official practice begins in October and doesn't finish until March, so the amount of stress placed on their bodies for more than five months tends to take its toll,” said Arnold. “It's also hard because they need every single body part to be healthy for them to compete. Making adjustments for them on the mat and in the weight room is important. Thankfully, Coach Henson and strength and conditioning coach Tanner Kolb understand this, and we can come up with a plan that allows them to still perform some type of activity and not sit out due to injuries.”
In addition to being a staff member and an alumna of West Virginia, Arnold and her family have been longtime supporters of the WVU wrestling program. She’s seen the progress made in the past few seasons and has high hopes for the future.
“My first goal is for everyone to stay healthy throughout this season,” she said. “Also for our program to continue to improve and have WVU fans be proud of this wrestling program. My dad is a huge wrestling fan, so I grew up going to WVU wrestling matches and to see him get excited about what Coach Henson has done with this program really makes all the blood, sweat, and tears all worth it. I am proud to be a part of this program, and it's only going to get better.”
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