Many may only see Mr. Garrick Edwards when something goes wrong.
It starts on the field, the court or the track. A player goes down, the crowd goes quiet and suddenly he’s there, calmly assessing an injury. It is easy to think that his job ends there, but in reality, that moment is only one part of a much larger responsibility.
For Mr. Edwards, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Health and Safety, and Pine Crest’s team of certified athletic trainers, Mr. Ivan Delgado and Mrs. Dayna Materiale, the work begins long before anyone steps onto the field.
On any given school day, the Brandon Knight ’10 Performance Center is in constant motion. Student-athletes move in and out between classes for treatment, evaluation and rehabilitation. Some are recovering from recent injuries, others are managing ongoing concerns and many are working through preventative care.
“During the school day, a lot of it is evaluating injuries, treating them and helping student-athletes understand what they need to do next,” Mr. Edwards said. “If they need further evaluation, we help guide that. If they need rehabilitation, we build programs to help them return safely.”
Roughly half of the team’s work happens in this space. The other half takes place across campus at practices and games, where trainers are present to respond in real time.
“At its core, our job is simple,” Mr. Edwards said. “Protect student health and keep them participating safely.”
He is the first to admit that simple is not always easy.
Each season brings a different set of challenges. In the fall, the focus is heat and acclimation in South Florida’s climate. In the winter, schedules tighten with frequent games. By spring, multiple events unfold simultaneously across campus, requiring trainers to be positioned strategically to ensure coverage.
“The main thing is making sure that if something does happen, there’s someone there who can get care to the student-athlete as quickly as possible,” Mr. Edwards said.
Preparation begins well before the season. Trainers review medical forms, identify potential risks and work with coaches on emergency readiness. They also guide how teams ramp up activity, recognizing that student-athletes arrive with different levels of conditioning.
“Understanding that not every athlete is at the same level is important,” Mr. Edwards said. “You have to adjust and individualize, not treat it as one group doing the same thing.”
When injuries occur, the response is immediate, but the process that follows is deliberate.
Student-athletes are evaluated and, when necessary, referred for further care. From there, Mr. Edwards and his team guide rehabilitation, often building customized programs on campus.
“A lot of times, students will get a note from a doctor that says they’re cleared,” Mr. Edwards said. “But cleared doesn’t mean they’re ready to go back at 100 percent.”
To bridge that gap, the team has developed return-to-play testing to ensure athletes are truly ready. From there, students are gradually reintroduced to practice, with close monitoring to prevent setbacks. “Our job is to keep them from doing too much too soon,” he said. “If we can prevent something from becoming worse, that’s a win.”
Athletic trainers work closely with strength and performance coaches, maintaining open lines of communication to adjust training loads and respond to early warning signs. “The biggest thing is communication,” Mr. Edwards said. “If we see something, we talk to the coaches and figure out how to modify what they’re doing.”
They also focus on educating student-athletes, helping them understand how their bodies respond to stress and recovery. “One of the biggest things we see is overtraining,” Mr. Edwards said. “Students think more is better, but the body doesn’t work that way. It adapts at its own pace.”
That education is intentional. The goal is not only to support students while they are at Pine Crest, but to equip them with knowledge they can carry forward.
“We want them to understand how to take care of themselves when they leave here,” he said.
Recovery is not only physical. Athletic trainers work in partnership with Dr. Hilary Cornelius, Mental Performance Coach, to support the emotional challenges that come with injury. “A lot of student-athletes identify themselves with their sport,” Mr. Edwards said. “When they can’t do that, even temporarily, it takes something from them.”
Through structured rehabilitation and collaboration with Dr. Cornelius, students are supported both physically and mentally as they work toward returning to play. Seeing progress, reaching milestones and building confidence becomes an essential part of the recovery process.
The reach of Pine Crest’s athletic trainers extends beyond its own student-athletes. At home competitions, Mr. Edwards and his team also provide care for visiting teams, many of which do not travel with a certified athletic trainer.
“We let visiting teams know what resources we have and that we’re here to help if they need it,” Mr. Edwards said. It is a quiet but meaningful extension of the school’s commitment to safety.
The level of care provided at Pine Crest is made possible through the resources available to the athletic training team.
From advanced equipment and rehabilitation tools to a fully equipped training facility, these resources allow trainers to respond quickly and effectively.
“I think there’s a big difference in what we’re able to provide here,” Mr. Edwards said. “From the equipment we have to the space we have, it allows us to meet the needs of our student-athletes consistently.”
That includes critical safety infrastructure, such as the availability of AEDs across campus, ensuring rapid response in emergency situations.
“That’s one of the most important things you can have,” Mr. Edwards said. “Those minutes matter.”
Much of the trainers’ work happens out of view.
It happens in early mornings, between classes and long afternoons that stretch into the evening. It happens in preparation, in communication and in moments that never reach the scoreboard.
For Mr. Edwards and his team, the impact is clearest when student-athletes return to what they love. “To see a student go from thinking they might be done to getting back out there and succeeding, that’s what makes it worth it,” he said.
For the student-athletes who rely on this care, the impact lasts far beyond a single season.
They leave with a stronger understanding of their health, a greater sense of confidence and the knowledge that someone was always looking out for them.
Even when everything was going exactly as it should.