ReillyO’Brien

For the last 31 years, Melissa Brusnahan has served as the most important cog that keeps the machine of Marian athletics moving. 

Brusnahan first went to school for physical therapy, an interest she developed after undergoing back surgery her sophomore year of high school. The athletic trainer at her college suggested she participate in athletic training to prepare for a career as a physical therapist. 

“By the end of the fall season, I was hooked on athletic training, and I shifted into that,” Brusnahan said. 

The beginnings of Brusnahan’s career were not the smoothest. “Everything I saw was new to me,” Brusnahan said. “For the first two weeks I sat at football practice and learned how to tear tape. I had to learn quickly.”

Luckily, she was able to hone her skills and create a career for herself. The position of head athletic trainer at Marian was created for Brusnahan. 

The fact that she doesn’t teach any other classes is unique, and helps for her to be available for students during lunch and study halls. 

It can be hard for Brusnahan to balance over 100 different athletes and 11 sports she has to look over. There are a few methods she has learned over the years that make it a little bit easier. 

“I keep kind of strict hours, and that’s why freshmen are sometimes intimidated, but I’ve learned to set boundaries so that everything is more organized,” Brusnahan said. 

Sophomore Mabel Henningsen competes in cross country, basketball, and track. She has gotten help from Brusnahan in the past to work through a stress fracture. 

Brusnahan helped to calm Henningsen’s nerves, giving her advice such as “heating [the area affected by the fracture] before practice, and icing it after,” Henningsen said. 

Marian athletes are grateful to have Brusnahan at Marian daily. Henningsen says it is very helpful to have someone always available to help when she needs it. Brusnahan is able to be here daily because she also serves as athletic director Rochelle Rohlfs’ assistant.  

The beginning of each season is always tough. First days of tryouts are really where Brusnahan’s organizational skills can come in handy. 

“I have to rely on some coaches to check the list and make sure every-thing is good,” Brusnahan said. “When there are four sports going at once, I can’t always be there.” 

When the first day of winter season’s tryouts starts, Brusnahan first has to ensure that each athlete has their medical forms turned in. Then, she has to get all of them checked off to ensure nobody is left without their proper forms submitted.

As the season progresses, Brusnahan is always around to help athletes with any sudden injuries or check up on past ones. She serves as the medical expert for both home and away teams whenever the competition is on Marian’s campus.

At the end of the day, Brusnahan is here to help student-athletes grow into who they want to be on and off the playing field. 

One thing Brusnahan wishes students knew more about is the opportunity they have to work with Brusnahan as a student athletic trainer. 

Brusnahan recently had two former Marian athletes shadow her. When they were students, Brusnahan had no idea they were interested in athletic training as a profession. 

“I chastised them. I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me that?’” Brusnahan said. “Working in the training room as a student athletic trainer would be a great experience. Whether you’re looking into physical therapy or athletic training, getting the experience and the hours in high school would be invaluable and really help with the application process.”

The most rewarding part of the job for Brusnahan is seeing girls she helped through their injuries get back on the field or court. She likes being able to calm the nerves of students who may feel pain in their leg or arm and hopefully save them from a stressful trip to the emergency room. 

“They’re back doing what they love, and you see them score a goal, hit a three pointer,” Brusnahan said, “and there’s a little part of you goes, ‘Oh, I helped her do that.’”