You’re at a football game. The crowd is on the edge of their seats, awaiting the final touchdown of the game. The tie breaking score- and a player gets injured. Within seconds help is on the way, but who exactly is the help?

Bowie offers a class on sports medicine, where students can learn how to help injured athletes get back on their feet to play. Student athletic trainer, sophomore Ryleigh Griffin is currently in the class and shares what makes the class one of her favorites.

“I love helping people, and that’s what the class is all about,” Griffin said. “Learning about sports medicine is fascinating to me.”

The class is an introduction to the reality of being a sports trainer, nurse, as well as some insight on other medical careers. Griffin has since grown a passion for assisting others with medical issues, and finds herself thrilled to share her knowledge. She is now very well prepared in situations that require her assistance, but it didn’t fully start out that way.

“It was fascinating, yet tricky, to learn about all of the possible injuries. And it’s totally different when you actually encounter them.” Griffin said.

She has had to pop in a players dislocated knee cap during one game, just one of the many times her help was needed. As she watches the games from the sidelines she has to be ready to run anywhere on the field. Griffin recalls a football injury that was one of the worst she’d seen so far.

“The worst injury that I’ve seen happen since being in the class was a head on head collision,” Griffin said. “[The collision] was so bad it caused a player to black out, and he ended up having a concussion.”

Griffin sees a future for herself being an athletic trainer or nurse, and this class has prepared her with a little preview of what that career would look like. The class requires approval, and after school dedication.