Athletic Training Room Shenanigans: #7 The Signature

It started in high school.

I first started to tape ... and I was good at it.

really good.

            

I taped Michael P one day ... and it was pretty that I thought I should sign my artwork. He was #11 and I was #12; so I put a  '11' and '12' on his ankle. I started to do it every game day ...later I added my name and it became a tradition.

Fast-forward to 2007 and I started work here in Charlotte ... I taped a kid one day and I said outloud "this deserves a signature" ... got a marker and wrote my name. And so the tradition returned.

The same rules still apply:

* It can only be on game day.

* It has to be a pretty tape job -- meaning no wrinkles, no loose ends, all the tape is even. no prewrap showing through ... pretty. neat. clean. functional!

* any not everyone gets a signature ... you have to EARN it... so sorry rookies ... you aren't anywhere close yet...

*and I mean earn it as in:  have a legit injury, show hard work, effort and respect .. while also having a sense of humor and not whining all the time.

It generally goes out to only 1 or 2 kids per year and its usually upper classmen. It's changed some through the years -- sometimes I wrote things like "Go Bucs" ... sometimes when I have requested a certain number of touchdowns or goals ... I'll write down that number. Nowadays though -- its back to just my name.

Oh, annnnnd I won't let anyone else sign my kids. Steph and Monica already know its my thing (and I don't think they actually care to join in anyway, ha)  But when one of our college students last year who come for observation tried to do it ... you best believe I laid down the law.

After I pick a kid and surprise them with the signature one game day ... I dont think about it anymore really... I just do it out of habit. The kids get all excited because they think they are finally deemed worthy. I just do it for their amusement ... and because I'm awesome. 

So a funny thing happened over at PD the other day:

I get a text message from their Athletic Trainer that read:

"Did I just see one of your athlete's with his ankle taped ...

and your signature on it!?"

Yeah J ... yeah, you did .. because thats how I roll.

I was actually over there for a wrestling match and after popped my head into the gym to check on the basketball team and JH asked if I had gotten the text, as he didnt realize I was there ...

I checked my phone. read the text ... laughed outloud and then asked him:

"What? You mean you dont sign your kids? wierd."

Apparently though I failed and the kid got a blister ... and I can say in ALL honesty -- is probably only the 3rd EVER as a result from my tape job in 13 years I've been taping. Im normally the one they come to because SOMEONE else gave a blister.

So this is taking a lot for me to admit - that I messed up and quite possibly wasted a good signature!

Yesterday in an email chain between all the AT's  ... I asked JH to share with the group his discovery -- and here is his email:

"Yesterday, I was “summoned” over to the court where our 8^th grade boys basketball teams were playing.  It happened to be a CD athlete that needed my assistance on a blister just above his heel.  So, he goes to take his sock off and I notice, pink writing on his tape job.  I peer in for a closer look and to my surprise,  under the in the bright lights of our gym I see Katherine’s signature!  Not initials, but the entire name down the anterior aspect of his ankle.  I almost burst into hysterics the instant I recognized the name, then  mentally visualized her doing it.  I didn’t have to destroy her work however, I just trimmed some of the tape off of his heel.  That’s the story.  You had to be there to witness my shock, to make it as funny as it was."

And so the next day -- I took a picture of this and sent it out -- to remind them all :

 don't hate on the Signature.