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Whether working with collegiate football teams or high schoolers in rural Idaho with limited medical care, new athletic trainer Gillian Rodgers brings her extensive experience to the athletic program.
As a former athlete herself, Rodgers knows firsthand the toll injuries can take. A series of injuries cut her athletic career short, but in the process, opened the door to sports medicine — a field that ignited a passion for helping others stay in the game.
“When I was in high school, I suffered through some pretty serious injuries, including a concussion. I had an amazing athletic trainer and got to talk to him throughout my recovery from those injuries,” Rodgers said. “Once I got to college and started taking classes, there was never a doubt. It was just something I was always interested in.”
Rodgers graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a Master’s degree in athletic training.
“I worked in many different roles throughout my school experience at the collegiate level, high school level, and professional level of athletics,” Rodgers said. “My family is originally from the Bay Area. I grew up here and left to go out of state for a few years for college, so it was a fun opportunity for me to move back.”
During graduate school in 2022, Rodgers also had the opportunity to work in rural neighborhoods of Idaho with kids who didn’t have access to healthcare or advanced medical supplies.
“A lot of times these kiddos said that that was the first time they never had an interaction with a healthcare provider [and] it showed me the different levels of access that people have to resources,” Rodgers said. “It made me want to reach out to different populations that might not have a full-time athletic trainer or even a regular health care provider.”
As the school’s new athletic trainer, Rodgers hopes to educate more people on the importance of sports medicine and preventing injury.
“I’m just here to make athletics safer so everyone can participate without fear of not receiving appropriate care,” Rodgers said.
