Let's face it. If student-athletes are going to practice hard and play sports at a high level, they're bound to get hurt. Injuries are a part of the game.

But when those inevitable injuries do occur, we want student-athletes to receive immediate attention from qualified health care professionals. We need certified athletic trainers like Sheila Hershey.

"We are health care professionals who work in collaboration with team physicians," said Hershey, who's been Warwick's athletic trainer for 14 years. "During a normal school day, we are seeing athletes for rehabilitation and the treatment of injuries. Then, we are covering games and practices. Being on-site helps us to respond to an injury, if it occurs, quickly."

Athletic trainers are not doctors. Perhaps the best way to characterize their level of expertise is to relate them to emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with a totally different set of skills and scope of training.

"Athletic trainers are there to take that question off our coaches," said Hershey. "(Coaches) might not be able to ascertain if a student-athlete has a concussion or concussion symptoms. Coaches are there to coach. But if a medical emergency happens, we're also there for that."

Athletic injuries come in all different shapes, forms and severity levels. Sometimes, Hershey's duties involve taping ankles, helping shaken-up competitors off the playing field or simply providing a bag of ice. But she's also trained to administer CPR and to diagnose serious injuries like broken bones and concussions.

It's important for student-athletes to know that someone like Hershey is always there just in case.

"(Injuries) are definitely inevitable," said Hershey, a resident of Lititz. "We're seeing more injuries and more overuse injuries. We're promoting the importance of being multi-sport athletes. But you shouldn't be over-training. It takes a toll on (student-athletes') bodies. There's definitely an element of resiliency, but some of our younger athletes are more at risk for some injuries because their bodies aren't fully developed yet."

There are hundreds of student-athletes in the Warwick School District competing in dozens of scholastic sports. Similarly, Hershey attends hundreds of interscholastic events and practices each school year.

"But we can't be at two places at the same time," said Hershey. "We hope our services aren't required. There's a chance we could be there, and our services aren't required. A good athletic training day is a boring day."

The nature of her profession requires Hershey to form a certain level of a personal relationship with student-athletes. But she is always diligent in approaching those relationships in a professional manner.

"We're here to support (student-athletes). We get to build relationships," said Hershey. "You present yourself professionally and as a caring individual and you've also got to project good boundaries. I always say, 'Is it OK to touch you?' I always ask. You're not their buddy. You're not their friend. But you are there to help them."

Hershey graduated from Hempfield High School in 1999, and four years later she graduated from West Chester University with a bachelor's degree in athletic training. From 2003 to 2005, Hershey was enrolled as a graduate assistant in the athletic training program at Millersville University; she came to Warwick in 2011.

"(Athletic training) has definitely changed over the years," said Hershey. "I'm in this profession for 20 years, and when I first started, there were no concussion protocols. There are more policies in place to protect our student-athletes. We also work more in different settings than the traditional settings."

"People see athletic trainers on the sidelines of sports games," she added. "We are health care providers. We're not a coach. We're not another set of eyes on the sidelines. We want to be respected for that. We want people to know that their sons and daughters are in good hands."