Zach Chase shows his Scots' Pride every day

PictureEveryone calls the BEHS trainer Zach. Staff photo.
By Megan Brown
      Athletic trainers are expected to be friendly and helpful to athletes who suffer injuries. Occasionally though, athletes are lucky to have a trainer  who goes above and beyond what is expected. A perfect example is BE’s trainer, Zach Chase, and  the athletes of Bonny Eagle say they feel fortunate to have him here this year.
     Zach Chase, called Zach by athletes and adults alike, originally planned on being a physical therapist, but graduated from the University of New England in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. He decided athletic training was better for him because he loves watching sports and working with an active group of people and because he likes “the adrenaline rush of being that first care responder.”
     Zach’s involvement with Bonny Eagle started in 2011 when he interned here. From that experience, he knew he wanted the challenge of working at a large school with the demanding sports programs that we have. He says he also likes the competitiveness and the craving our athletes have to become better.    
     This love for Bonny Eagle is a large reason why he got the job here. Athletic Director Mr. Kyle Hodsdon explained that, while all the candidates  had the same background, Zach “had an energy and passion for Bonny Eagle. He had lived Scot pride and wanted to be a part of it.”
    To Zach, Scot pride means “being able to maintain a clear vision of integrity and having the willingness to go the extra mile to achieve your goals. Scot Pride also defines having great character, and being a team player by putting others first.”
     Zach lives this Scot pride as much as possible; when he is not here nursing athletes back to health or covering games, he travels to away games just to be there. He works hard to get people back in action as soon as possible.
    Each day,  Zach can deal with anywhere from five to 30 student athletes coming in and out of his athletic training room, asking to be checked for injury or to be worked on to help heal their injury.
     The athletes of Bonny Eagle say they are happy to have such a supportive trainer here this year. At the beginning of the winter sports season, sophomore Kialeigh Marston, one of the top runners for the girls indoor track team, sprained her ankle. Kialeigh says she was lucky to have Zach here.
   “He got me back pretty quickly,” she said.
     Zach says getting athletes back playing as quickly and safely as possible is one of his favorite parts of being an athletic trainer.
    
    
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Zach got Becca Howell back on the basketball court for her final game of the season.
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Zach talks to Audrey Weyand about her injuries before indoor track practice. Staff photos.
        Bonny Eagle has had three different trainers in the last three years. Unlike past athletic trainers, Zach works daily with athletes, whether it is just checking in on how they’re doing or having full rehab sessions. Athletes who have worked with Zach say that he does not let people drag out their injuries and become lazy about them.
    After senior Audrey Weyand, also a top runner, strained her hamstring, Zach worked with her daily to get her back running in time for championship season. He is willing to take small risks to make the athletes happy, and he did this when he let Audrey run in the Southwestern meet.
     Audrey believes that Zach “pushes you to the best of your ability” and many athletes would agree with her. Audrey went so far as to say he is “the best trainer we have had.”