This year, Hackley welcomed two new athletic trainers, Joe Pugliese and Whitney Vail, who plan to bring a fresh focus on preventative care to the athletic training room.
What got both Joe and Whitney into athletic training was their own connection to sports. Joe played football and baseball in high school and then went on to play baseball at the collegiate level.
“I had a great relationship with my athletic trainer in college. I threw out my arms, so that’s how I got into sports medicine,” said Joe.
Whitney played volleyball, basketball, and softball in high school, and then went on to play rugby for a year in college. She was also involved in tons of sports and was hurt a lot growing up, and wanted to help athletes stay in sports.
Before joining the Hilltop, Whitney worked as an athletic trainer at a few different colleges. She spent six years working at Baruch College, a Division three school located in Manhattan. Before that, she worked at Iona University, working with division one athletes for five and a half years.
Joe worked at Marist University with the football team for a season, and then went on to work at Mamaroneck High School for two years.
What made being a trainer at Hackley an appealing job for both Joe and Whitney was the desire for a better work balance. At both of their previous jobs, they wouldn’t be able to come home till around 10ten p.m., sometimes even later. Athletic trainer burnout is a serious problem in the field, especially for people working at the collegiate level.
“Work-life balance is tough,” said Joe. “So Hackley does a very good job at helping us out in that way.”
Whitney was looking for a job that allowed her to spend more time with her four-year-old daughter. Living in White Plains and working in Manhattan wasn’t ideal; the commute was long, and her job required her to stay long hours. One night, her daughter had told her that she didn’t like it when she would come home late, and that was the moment that she decided that she needed a new job.
Whitney and Joe’s goal is to “keep athletes on the field,” with an emphasis on preventative care. Whitney encourages students to come see them even if they are not injured. They are hoping to shift the culture of the training room from a place you go to deal with injuries to a place you go to prevent them.
“We’re here to keep you guys on the field,” said Whitney. “We’re here to keep you guys playing, not so much to hold you out.”
Along with that, they hope for the training room to become a more serious environment, which means no more naps and chatting with friends.
“Come for help, not to hang out,” said Joe. “We have some of the best equipment available; utilize it.”.
“When my quad was bothering me during preseason, I was able to go to the trainers and work with them to figure out what was wrong,” said junior Miya Lauher. “I loved coming in to do my stretches because I just loved their company.”
Although Even though they both just met, Joe and Whitneythey seem to get along pretty well. They both agreed that their favorite sport to work with is basketball and that their priority is keeping athletes on the field.. However, the one thing they can’t seem to agree on is the best New York sports team.
Whitney is a huge Jets fan, while Joe is a Giants fan, and both of them are season ticket holders for their respective teams. However, they can agree on the Knicks and Rangers being the best Basketball and Hockey teams, and both share a love for New York Sports teams.
Joe and Whitney both share a similar mindset, which is one of the reasons they work so well together and are excited to get to know more members of the community.