Injuries have become a common occurrence during my time as an athlete. With all the rolled ankles, my scratched cornea, and three concussions in the past two years, Chyla Bechtel has been there for it all. Chyla is the head athletic trainer who not only a strength and conditioning specialist, she is also a concussion treatment specialist who is available to all Arrowhead athletes, free of charge. She can be found at North Campus, Monday through Friday, 2:30-5:30 p.m.

Coming in dazed and confused, in pain, or crying, I am always greeted with constant kindness and a sense of calm that radiates off Chyla. Just recently, I came in to see Chyla for an injury when I got hit in the eye with a lacrosse ball. My eye was almost swollen shut, and I couldn’t see. She first did a complete concussion analysis where she tested my balance and checked my pupils. Chyla then noticed the pupil in my injured eye was not dilating, and she knew that there was something more serious going on. She also told me that I shouldn’t go to the emergency room because it would cost my parents a lot more money for an unspecialized doctor, who could be wrong about my eye injury, unlike my optometrist, who could perform all the appropriate tests. Chyla then asked me who my optometrist was, found her clinic and clinic hours, and called my mom to give her a complete rundown of how she didn’t believe I was concussed, but she did think there was something wrong with my cornea, and how that I should get it checked out by my eye doctor as soon as possible.

Even days after my eye was healed, Chyla continued to check my eye every day after school. She would ask me how it was feeling and check on me out of the goodness of her heart, even days after I was cleared by my eye doctor. Every time I step on the field, or the court, I know that I have the best care sitting on the sidelines watching me. Chyla is not only sitting on the sidelines of my games, she is also at every varsity home game for every sport, so every athlete at Arrowhead is protected. Parents and students alike should be elated to have Chyla around, because she is the best care Arrowhead could ask for.