Fresno State athletes receive recognition, whether it̢۪s a win or a loss. Athletes get cheers from fans after a great win and words of encouragement after a tough loss.

But it is the team behind the team that might deserve some praise as well.

They are the student trainers in the sports medicine program at Fresno State.

Student trainers put in countless hours preparing an athlete for practices and games. They will come in early to help tape up the athletes and stay late to treat an injury.

“We are required to work 20 hours, minimum, a week,â€Â senior sports medicine major Mary Portwood said. “But on average, we work nearly 40 hours.â€Â

The student trainers at Fresno State might just be some of the hardest working people on campus.

When other students are on break or vacation, the trainers are still on campus working with the athletes.

“There is no such thing as spring break or vacation for us. We keep up [with the athletes] during our breaks,â€Â Portwood said.

Even though the trainers spend so much time working with athletes, they still have to make time for school.

Because the sports medicine program is set up so precisely by program director Scott Sailor, all the classes and hours worked during the semester do not conflict.

“Scott Sailor has all the classes set up for you,â€Â said Christina Modica, a sophomore sports medicine major.

Student trainers are able to manage their time between school and working in the training room with a set up schedule.

The only thing that the student trainers don̢۪t have time for is a job.

“We can’t have a job. We spend a lot of time in here [the training room],â€Â Portwood said.

But working in the training room is a job in itself. It helps prepare the trainers of what they can expect when they graduate or when they get a job in the real world.

“This is what we want to do,â€Â Portwood said. “We get a glimpse of what we want to do. It’s like a preview.â€Â

While the student trainers in the sports medicine program at Fresno State deserve high praise and applause, they don’t seek it. A simple “thank youâ€Â by an athlete is rewarding enough.

“I love them. They make practice in life so much easier,â€Â senior track and field athletic Val-Pierre Dai’Re said.