Ansel Garvey, the new assistant athletic trainer, is excited to make his mark at Belmont Hill. With his fresh perspective and enthusiastic demeanor, he is hoping to help guys get back on the field as soon as possible and prevent further injury.
Growing up and playing high school football and lacrosse in Westfield, Ma. he told me he always seemed to be in the athletic trainer’s room with an injury. From his multiple bouts on the injured reserve observing the athletic trainer, the unsung hero of the school, he fostered an interest and appreciation for athletic training and rehabilitation. Thus, he decided to pursue the path of sports medicine at Springfield College where he specifically studied athletic training.
Working first at Holy Cross to get hands-on experience, then receiving his Master’s degree from UMass Amherst, Garvey found his niche in athletic training. He has a calming effect on athletes and his accurate, rapid assessments of injuries are what eventually led him to work for the Providence Bruins. After two years in Providence, he was moved up to the NHL as the assistant athletic trainer for the Boston Bruins. He told me, “One of my favorite things about working for the Bruins was the family mentality, from traveling together every day to offseason work–it was a real band of brothers type experience. We had a young player who got hurt in training, and after rehabbing him post-surgery, I got to see him back on the ice and I’ll never forget the look on his face, he was just so excited to be back out there. That’s why I chose athletic training.”
Garvey loves the well-rounded faculty here at Belmont Hill, who teach life lessons both in the classroom and out on the fields. He looks forward to seeing the shy young kids grow and develop into confident seniors over his time at school. As an athletic trainer here, his skill and experience in quick on-field evaluations and comprehensive rehabilitation is a tremendous benefit for our athletic program and our athletes.
