This year, the Ellenville Central School District (ECSD) has welcomed Jabari Moseley, who has taken on the role of athletic trainer. For the first time, explains Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics Matthew Salamone, coaches will have the benefit of working alongside a specialized trainer—Moseley—who can professionally address any injuries or points of weakness the athletes are experiencing, while coaches can concentrate on the game.
“This is a huge weight lifted off the shoulders of all coaches,” said Salamone. “It is great to have Mr. Moseley on staff.”
Moseley will be attending many of Ellenville’s sports practices, every one of its home games, and several travel games, too. While a coach is trained in First Aid and CPR, Moseley, in addition, can not only treat injuries but help prevent them, too.
To ensure Ellenville’s athletes stay in tip-top shape, the District is implementing a new database that both Moseley and each coach can utilize to share data and optimize communication. For instance, a coach will enter details about each athlete, including such information as old and new injuries and specific areas of the body that may be sore or weak. Moseley can then work with that student during the school day, or on the field at practices or games, to best address the situation.
Moseley, a graduate of Dominican College, joins the ECSD after building his experience in a variety of settings, including physical therapy clinics, college athletic departments, as an industrial injury prevention specialist, and in a similar capacity to his new role at several other public and private high schools throughout the Hudson Valley.
The new trainer jumped right into his role this summer, attending many of the athletic practices, meeting Ellenville’s athletes, and building relationships with them. “I am really excited to help the students achieve their goals,” he said.
According to Moseley, one of the best ideas he can impart to his students is that physical and mental health matter. “If you want to be a competitive athlete, you need a competitive diet,” he said. “This starts with developing mindfulness about your well-being.”
Moseley practices meditative breathing techniques with his students, encourages them to get adequate sleep, and to read the ingredients on the labels of the foods they eat every day. “Good food should not have long, complicated ingredients you can’t pronounce,” he said.
This is his most important goal, he said. “If athletes take care of themselves off the field, they will see improvement on the field. My hope is that the students see that connection!”