The first quarter of the 2023-2024 school year is complete and with the fall athletics seasons wrapped up, new ones are underway. Behind all the games, practices, wins and losses are the athletic trainers (ATs) who help aid and prevent injuries in the student-athletes of Green Hope. The AT team is led by Ms. Maura Gaffney who teaches Sports Medicine I and II. 

As she began her first school year this past August, Gaffney juggled the position of being both a teacher and head AT on campus. In an interview with the GH Falcon, she expressed how her experience has been so far, “It has been good, there have been a lot of things to learn at the same time, and it can be a little overwhelming, but so far it has gone well and Mrs. Davidson [prior head AT and current assistant AT] has been super helpful in making sure that I have everything that I need and making sure that I am set up properly.” As she continues on this new journey she is kin to new experiences at Green Hope. 

Now working with teenagers, Gaffney has undoubtedly taken on a new challenge that diverges from her previous line of work. She spoke about the differences in her occupation from working at a collegiate level and a high school level. Prior to working at Green Hope, Gaffney worked as a graduate assistant AT for North Carolina State University, working with collegiate cheerleaders. “Working with high schoolers has been good, coming from the collegiate level setting it’s extremely different. Having students under the age of 18 and needing parental consent for everything differs from working at the collegiate level and having the freedom to do what you need treatment-wise.” When comparing the two levels a variety of things change in age, sports and injuries despite being in an athletic environment. Gaffney has to work around these new obstacles/experiences.

Working primarily with the NCSU cheer team, Gaffney was exposed to a variety of injuries in athletes that prepared her for the numerous sports we offer at Green Hope. She expressed similarities and differences that she has seen since beginning her journey as a high school educator and AT, “Working cheerleading you see a little bit of everything injury-wise. As a clinical student, you have to work with every different type of athlete and you have to work with high schoolers, contact sports and equipment-heavy sports, so I had prior experience working in these settings before Green Hope. It’s certainly different, and not as much as I was expecting it to be.” As she starts her new journey as a high school educator she reflects on her past experiences that inspired and prepared her for this new line of work.

The inspiration to become an AT was derived from her passion and love for the medical field and her ability to work in an active setting. Gaffney explained, “I love the medical field and enjoy being around people who are active.” Gaffney did not always want to be an AT, “Originally, I wanted to do occupational therapy and then I kind of found athletic training and I fell in love with it.” As she explores her passion for the field, she strives to inspire and educate young minds.

At NCSU, Gaffney had daily run-ins with student-athletes who were misinformed or not informed at all about their bodies and how they function as growing adults. This is what sparked her interest in becoming a teacher and working with youth to further educate students about themselves and to teach them about their bodies in every aspect. Gaffney said, “Having the education piece when teaching high schoolers about their bodies inspired me. A lot of my athletes in college didn’t know a lot about their bodies, and their high school athletic trainers were there to provide care but didn’t explain a whole lot to them so I wanted to make sure that I was being a part of explaining their bodies to them so they could understand more about themselves.” Preparing us for our futures and understanding life, Gaffney has a plan and passion as an educator and AT. 

Whether it be in the classroom, the athletic training room, on the field, or on the court Gaffney is there to teach, provide and guide athletes through a safe and healthy environment at Green Hope School with her positive energy.