51 Things for the ‘Bored’ Athletic Trainer

/ vmorris_atc

Does anyone else have the Bored in the House song from TikTok stuck in their head? No, just me? Okay cool.

It has been almost 5 weeks since the school I am employed at has canceled sports and classes. Sure students are still completing at home packets for their core classes but this has left me in sort of a rut. What am I suppose to do?

To be honest, the first couple of days were amazing. I caught up on all the sleep that I missed, watched all the DVR recordings in my Hulu Live, and started a new book series. But after a week the boredom started to creep up on me. See, I don’t do well being told to stay in one place. I love being outside, traveling, and most importantly sports. Though I would think those are three important qualities to any athletic trainer.

So to combat the boredom I have started purposely trying to do things every day to keep my mind fresh. It seems to have helped my mental state tremendously and after seeing and talking to other athletic trainers, I thought I would share my ideas.

To make this all a little easier to read, I have decided to make categories. Work, Personal, Entertainment, etc. Without any more rambling, here is my list of 51 things for the ‘bored’ AT:

Work

  1. Revisit your EAP.
    • When was the last time it was updated? Do phone numbers need to be changed? Locations? Is there an EAP for each venue (basketball gym vs football stadium).
  2. Update the Concussion policy.
    • When was the last time this was updated? Do you need to update the concussion management team? Have you discussed return-to-learn with concussion oversight doctor? What about with your principals and counselor? Or academic advisors. Do your teachers know about the concussion policies or that there even is one?
  3. Review the Weather policy.
    • Are you still using a lightning detector or have you switched to a cell phone app? Heat index or WBGT? Is the procedure for cold water immersion and activating EMS included in case an AT is not nearby? Cold weather and what to do? Tornados and where to go? Flash flooding?
  4. Create a Mental Health policy.
    • Does your institution have a mental health policy? Do you think it would be important to create one?
  5. PASS (Secondary Schools)
    • Now is a great time for all of us secondary school ATs to be working on the NATA PASS (Program Assessment for Safety in Sport). Any AT can use this guideline to assess the safety of their facility. You could even use this to help increase your budget or help purchase something you or your facility really need.
  6. Filing
    • If you are allowed to be on campus or in the office during most stay-at-home orders then this is the perfect time to catch up on all the filing, paperwork, notes, or online work. Turn up your favorite playlist on Spotify and unpack your favorite snack and get to work. Close those injuries that you have been meaning to close. Update any rehabs that you need to send out with athletes. Scan any doctor’s notes into the computer or send emails to coaches about expiring physicals or paperwork. Start packing up your seniors’ paperwork and getting them ready for storage.
  7. Inventory
    • It is time to plan ahead for the next year. If you haven’t done so already, look at the things you want or need for the next year. Hopefully, without anyone else in the office, you can get this done without interruption. Start talking to your sales reps (if possible) and get your quotes and purchase orders ready. What better way to get back to work than with boxes coming in within the first few weeks?
  8. Lesson plans and assignments
    • Do you teach? Are you having to teach now with distance learning? A good way to keep somewhat of a routine to the normal schedule is working on assignments and lessons for next year. Are you just going to teach the same thing as last year? What about those students who are missing at least 2-3 months worth of classes. How will you accommodate for that?
  9. Rules
    • When was the last time you updated the rules of your facility? Especially Secondary School ATS.
  10. Update website
    • Do you or your program have a website? When was the last time it was updated? Is everything on the site accurate? Now would be the best time to get everything up to date.
  11. Research
    • Get caught up on those research articles you’ve been wanting to read. Wanting to learn more about FMS (me currently) then start reading.
  12. CEUS
    • Did you wait until December to get all your CEUs for the past reporting period? Well, how about you get an early jump and start getting in some CEUs. NATA gives 10 credits with renewal, Arkansas state meeting is now online for those looking, and Gatorade Sports Science Institute has free nutrition CEUs.

Entertainment

  1. Catch up on TV
    • Right now I am obsessing over Outlander, Blue Bloods, Supernatural, Jack Ryan, Narcos, Santa Clara Diet, Marvel Runaways
  2. Start a new book series
    • Sure reading a new book is great. I recommend Little Fires Everywhere and its new series on Hulu. But what is even better is starting a series. Reading a book knowing there are at least two more books to go just seems to make it that much better.
    • My picks right now: Alex Cross series by James Patterson (28 books in total so far). The Hunger Games (reread), the prequel to the series comes out May 19th.
    • Standalone books: Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football’s Make-or-Break Moment by Carla Killough McClafferty. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (watch her Netflix series too), and The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein.
  3. Writing
    • Break open that journal you bought at Target because it had the cute design on the cover. Start that blog you’ve been telling yourself you’d write. Have poetry stuck in your head, or lyrics swirling about? Write them down. Did you always want to write the next great American novel? Why wait?
  4. Learn a language
    • Ever have that moment when you have to talk to a foreign athlete or at a high school where the parents do not speak English? Start working on learning a second language. Go beyond just what you were taught in high school Spanish and learn how to speak medically.
  5. Make a TikTok
    • I’m not even going to explain this one. Just do it. Then follow me @vmorris_at. Trust me, you will get addicted.
  6. Make an at-home movie theater
    • Remember all those times when you were a kid and all you wanted to do was make a blanket fort in the living room and camp out. Why not do that know. Make a blanket fort with your tv at one end and as many pillows and blankets and cushions as you can fit inside. Pop some popcorn, bring out the soda and candy, and binge the entire MCU series. Or Star Wars, or Harry Potter.
  7. Do a virtual tour
    • check out this link for some great ideas on virtual tours
  8. Check out some Podcasts
    • My personal favorites are Candid Athletic Training (check out their twitter page for polls and interactions with the episodes), Sports Medicine Broadcast, Polos and Khakis, RISE podcast with Rachel Hollis, and my own high schools podcast with our Radio Station.
  9. Chat with fellow ATs
    • Missing having conversations with someone that is not in your house? Well, @ATTalks (twitter) hosts weekly Zoom chats with ATs across the nation. Hit them up for info.
  10. Find a Drive-in movie theater
  11. Participate in a bear hunt
  12. Have a backyard campfire
    • If you have the space break out the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. Maybe even some hotdogs if you want to make it a meal. Tell some scary stories. But nothing about deadly diseases, okay!
  13. Do you have LEGOs?!
    • Do you have legos? If so, build an athletic training room. I want to see how creative everyone is. Send me a pic on twitter @morris_atc
  14. Play card games with friends
    1. UNO is a great game to play with friends over Zoom. Be sure to check UNO’s official twitter page for clarification on some rules. So apparently you can’t stack Draw 4 cards. Who Knew?
  15. Have a themed dinner
    • I’ve seen this a lot on social media and wish I didn’t live alone. Chose one night a week for the whole family to come to dinner dressed up in a theme. Favorite movie character, book character, decades night.

Hobbies

  1. Plant a garden
    • Grow your own herbs and veggies. Recently, I just started a raised garden with herbs and peppers. My goal is to have enough veggies and herbs to make a bomb-ass salsa. Results to be determined.
    • Go to your local flower store or Lowes/Home Depot. Look around the aisles (safely) and find some flowers or plants you like. Make sure to decide if you are going to have to plant in a pot or if you have the place to plant in the ground. Picking out plants will require a little research. Note if your area is mostly sunny/shade. Good soil or poor.
  2. Learn or practice an Instrument
  3. Complete a puzzle
  4. Cook, Bake, Mix
    • With more time on your hands why not start looking into recipes to try? Whipped coffee anyone?
    • I recently started cooking breakfast for myself every morning. It is a great way to get myself on a routine and to wake up. I start with a coffee and then proceed to find ingredients. I have made some amazing omelets, pastries, and full course English breakfast.
    • Baking is great for the whole family. Make cookies and let the kiddos decorate. Find something to celebrate and bake a new flavor of cake. Or heck, make your doggo some peanut butter snacks.
    • Anyone else finding that drinking without friends just isn’t as fun? Well, my friends and I have continued our weekly ‘girls’ nights’ just a little differently. Each week someone goes on that Facebook page Tipsy Bartender. You know the one– where they post videos of jolly rancher infused tequila or bloody mary popsicles with celery sticks. Anyway, we choose a video an then every Thursday we call get together on a Zoom call and try to recreate the drink in the video. Believe me, this is the most fun I have all week.
  5. Knit, crochet, sew.
    • If you know how to sew, people everywhere are looking for masks. Give them away or sell them. It’s up to you.
  6. Make tye-shirts from some of your old shirts. These make pretty great work out shirts.
  7. Create some art.
    • Paint, draw, color, sculpt. Whatever it is that you have always wanted to do.
  8. Stargaze/Cloudgaze
    • Have a picnic/midnight snack on the patio and just look up at the sky. Make it even more interesting by reading up on constellations or clouds.

Home

  1. Spring Cleaning
    • Speaking of Marie Kondo from before– if you’ve read her book and watch her show, time to put all that knowledge to work. It is officially springtime so get to cleaning. Find what brings your joy and what does not. Then donate or throwing away the things that you found does not give you joy. Besides, it’s a great excuse to go shopping once the quarantine is over.
  2. Home Repairs
    • need to repaint those cabinets? Fix the leak in the sink.
  3. Feng Shui
    • How long have you had your living room decorated the way it is? Do you lack any style or decoration? Rearrange your furniture. Change up the style in a room.
  4. Use the Fancy Dinnerware
    • Nothing says fun like bringing out the Christmas or Thanksgiving dinnerware.
  5. Reorganize those bookshelves.
  6. Clean under your bed.
  7. Organize and label tools, cleaning supplies, laundry.
  8. Put empty frames to use.
    • Print out your favorite pictures from your phone and put them on display for everyone to see.

You 

This goes for men and women. Take a day and just spend it taking care of you. Don’t worry about your significant other or your kids. Sure spend time with them and make sure they are feed, but otherwise, focus on you.

  1. Sleep. Get lots of it.
  2. Deep condition your hair. Parrafin wax your hands. Since we cannot get to the hair or nail salons trying to take care of your own hands.
  3. Dye your hair. Please do this responsibly.
  4. Make a list of things you’re grateful for each day.
  5. Throw out old makeup, skincare products. Yes, sunscreen is included.
  6. Take a bubble bath. Treat yo self with wine too.
  7.  Workout
    • Has your strength coach been posting workouts for athletes? Why not participate. Heck, even video yourself doing the workout and send it to your athletes. I know that my athletes have more motivation to do something when they see their coaches and AT doing it.

 

Last but not least– Number 51!

Make sure to reach out to your co-workers, athletes/patients, coaches, doctors. This is a crazy time for everyone and just hearing from you could honestly make someone’s day.

 

So stay safe and healthy out there. To everyone still working and volunteering during this time. THANK YOU!!!

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