When Chico State succeeds on the field of competition, the Wildcat athletes deservedly garner the headlines. But behind the scenes, a dedicated group of athletic trainers play a vital role in providing the comprehensive health care the ’Cats need to reach and maintain their physical peak. Chico State assistant athletic trainer Halie Hall, ATC is one of those unsung heroes, and with March being National Athletic Training Month, her efforts make Hall the natural choice for Wildcat of the Week.
“You see the athletes at their lowest point, depending on the severity of the injury,” Hall said. “To be able to help them through their struggles, be with them every step of the way, and ultimately see them back out on the field and succeeding is very satisfying. That’s a big part of why we get into the (athletic training) profession.”
Along with head athletic trainer Scott Barker and head assistant Devin Tacla, Hall has been part of the Chico State athletic training staff since 2016. For the first two years she served as a graduate assistant trainer while working on her master’s degree in kinesiology, and in September, 2018 she joined the staff on a full-time basis.
“Halie has been a tremendous asset to our athletic training program,” Barker said. “She has a great work ethic which was evident early on as a graduate student in our program. We are very fortunate we were able to add her to our full-time staff after she completed her graduate degree.”
The trio of Wildcat trainers has created a positive rapport with Chico State athletes of all sports, who rely heavily on them to help with injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation. Over the past few years, Hall, Tacla, and Barker have developed a winning chemistry of their own that makes their seamless operation the envy of every training room in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
“We mesh really, really well,” Hall said. “Scott is an amazing person to work. He has so much knowledge; he’s had experience working with the greatest athletic trainers in our field. I want to soak up everything I can when I’m around him.
“Devin and I work well together, too. He’s great at providing comedic relief to ease stressful days. He’s fun to be around and a great person to work with.”
“One of Halie’s greatest strengths is she has the perfect balance of compassion and encouragement,” Barker said. “Halie really excels with this and it is a reflection of the quality person she is.”
While each Wildcat athletic trainer has their area of expertise, Hall maintains that to be successful, being well-rounded in every aspect of the profession is a must.
“A lot of people think all we do is tape ankles, but it’s a big area that we cover,” she said. “Every day is different. One day my focus could be on an emergency situation where I have to know how to step up, evaluate and treat a life-threatening injury or illness. Other days it’s teaching the athletes a wide variety of things: self-hygiene, nutrition, mental health, how to stretch a sore muscle. We wear different hats constantly.
“Sometimes (an injury requires) simply sticking on a band-aid and cleaning them up. Other days we have to call the ambulance and follow emergency action protocols. That’s the thrill of it: you never know what’s going to happen, and it could change at a moment’s notice.”
A talented softball catcher during her playing days, a career in athletic training was not what Hall originally envisioned when she enrolled at Butte College in 2011.
“My first career choice was agriculture,” she said. “I was involved in FFA in high school, and was interested in ag sciences. I didn’t know anything about athletic training until the fall of my first year playing softball at Butte. I got hit by a line drive and had to go into the training room to get some ice. It just so happens my coach’s husband (Mario Vela) was the head athletic trainer, and I found myself totally enamored with what was going on in the room that day. I just thought ‘wow,’ and that’s how I fell into it.”
Hall would serve as a student athletic trainer for a variety of Butte College sports while also playing softball for the Roadrunners. After receiving her associate’s degree in social and behavioral science from Butte in 2014, Hall transferred to Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, where she wrapped up her softball career and earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2016. She became a certified athletic trainer in July of that year.
Hall returned to Northern California and enrolled at Chico State, and while completing her master’s degree in kinesiology, she worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. She’s been an integral part of Barker’s Wildcat training staff ever since.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the way Hall approaches her job has changed considerably.
“Everything’s virtual,” she said. “We’re working from home. We give the athletes and coaches our cell phone number, so if they need to get a hold of us, they can call or e-mail and we’ll be able to help them.”
With athletes not being able to practice or compete on the field, the Wildcats have shifted to a tele-medicine approach, conducting online Zoom clinics every Monday through Friday from 12-5 p.m.
“We’re available to the athletes for guidance and online injury evaluation and advice,” Hall said. “Currently we’re not able to see them in person, so the Zoom clinics are the best way for us to stay connected to the athletes and provide them with the information they need.”
Prior to the pandemic, everyone on the athletic training staff logged incredibly long hours during the academic year. But with the free time that COVID has created, Hall has gotten the chance to do things that she hadn’t been able to do regularly due to work commitments, road trips with the various Wildcat teams, and other responsibilities.
“I’ve been spending time with my family in the Biggs/Gridley area; seeing my niece and nephew,” Hall said. “I’ve been doing a lot of home improvement projects like painting and yard work…things you don’t get the chance to do when you’re on the go 24-7.”
Hall is content with her important role as part of the Wildcat Family—so much so that she’s not spending a whole lot of time worrying about what the next chapter in her athletic training career may hold.
“I haven’t put too much thought into it. I’m just living in the moment,” Hall said. “I don’t see myself moving into professional sports. Eventually, I might try to move up the ladder and become a head athletic trainer, if the opportunity presents itself.
“But for the time being, I’m very happy with being a Chico State Wildcat.”
Do you know a Wildcat who deserves to be considered for a Wildcat of the Week honor? We're looking for current student-athletes who are making you proud athletically, academically, and/or in the community. If you have an idea, please take a moment to let us know by completing this five-question survey.
