Brennan Ford, Sports Editor–
Denison Athletics recently welcomed Gracie Barney to their athletic training staff, who will be working alongside the Big Red football, softball, and squash teams.
Barney comes from The Ohio State University, where she obtained her bachelor’s in athletic training. Her prior experience includes four years working alongside Ohio State’s football and lacrosse teams, which included the 2024 Football National Championship Team.
While Barney’s passion and experience lies in Division I football, she is eager to expand her knowledge to other sports.
“I’m excited about seeing and experiencing what Denison sports has to offer. I have grown up a huge football fan and have worked D1 football, so I’m excited to be working in a sport I love” Barney said. “[Squash and softball] are new for me, so I’m also excited to learn about them.”
The differences across these sports she will work with requires a broader understanding of treatment methods so Barney can best support Denison student-athletes.
“These three sports are fairly different but it all comes down to contact versus non-contact. Football is a collision sport compared to the other two.” Barney said “Other things like intensity, playing style, and roster size also come into play when I think about these three sports I cover.”
Further, injuries may differ across contact and non-contact sports.
“Contact [sports] you might see more acute injuries while non-contact [sports] might have more chronic injuries. Either way, each injury is treated within my respected scope of practice and rehab and returned with focus on the respective sport in mind.”
On a day-to-day basis, Barney keeps busy as she starts with treatment times for athletes.
“I give each patient a block of time for whatever their treatment needs to be in order to feel good such as cupping, scrapping or an ultrasound, rehabs for specific injuries, evaluation for potential new injuries, or whatever medical need that needs to be brought to my attention” Barney said.
After treatments, Barney meets with the coaches and strength coaches to provide updates before then preparing to support Denison student athletes at their practices.
“I am [at practice] for any medical need, emergent or non-emergent. I spend this time watching practice, doing functional rehabs, and actively watching if anything were to happen” Barney said.
In her role as an athletic trainer, Barney prioritizes the safety, and mental and physical well-being of each student athlete.
“I am here to make sure that if an injury occurs they are taken care of. Sports injuries can be grueling, so I am there to help treat and better them through the healing process.” Barney said. “Whatever the case may be, big or small, I am there every step of the way in hopes of getting each athlete back on the field and playing like themselves again.”
Although injuries are often considered physical ailments, Barney emphasizes the importance of maintaining mental well-being.
“Taking care of your body also means taking care of your mind. It’s hard being a student athlete, so making sure that mental health is just as taken care of as physical health is important.” Barney said “At the end of the day, I’m there to take care of my student athletes and get them to be the best version of themselves so they can go perform on the field!”