Porter makes move from athlete to trainer

Poplar Bluff High School team trainer Tara Porter (left) adjusts the walking boot of Mules football player Kade Huffman during Wednesday's practice at Mules Stadium.

DAR/Mike Buhler

Fifteen years ago, Tara Porter was a first-team all-state basketball player at Greenville High School.

Porter now finds herself on the other side of the bench as she is in her third season as the team trainer for all sports, including football, at Poplar Bluff High School.

Porter is employed through Ozark Wellness and its physical therapy department — and she outreaches to PBHS and its athletes.

“I'm at the school every day for their last hour of class, eighth hour, and then I'm here for all practices,” Porter said. “I'm the only athletic trainer we have (at Ozark) that outreaches to the high school, so every sport is under my wing.”

So what does Porter do for the Mules and Lady Mules?

“It's injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, first aid — and there's a lot more, even mental health, first aid and first-responder style stuff that people don't realize,” Porter said. “Just health care as a whole, but for athletes.”

Porter said athletic training has changed since she was a high school player 15 years ago, especially in Southeast Missouri

“Just (with the added emphasis on) the mental health aspect of it and more than just 'Oh, my ankle hurts,' or my 'I jammed my finger,' but on a deeper level about what's going on in their home life, what's going on at home and being there mentally for some of these athletes,” Porter said. “Also, medicine is always changing, so concussion protocols, ankle rehabilitation and all things change pretty frequently. I wouldn't say every year, but each year, medicine is progressing to something more and something new, so there's always advances to be made.”

Porter also has enjoyed working this season with head football coach Jeff Mannon and his coaching staff.

“I am super excited to have Coach Mannon as the head and the whole new coaching staff,” Porter said. “I think we're headed in the right direction. I love the relationship that Mannon and I have this year, just as far as sports medicine goes, the communication back and forth with injury reports.”

Indeed, working with PBHS athletes and coaches is what Porter loves about her job.

“I really like the relationships that I've built with coaching staff, administration and even the athletes — just them having a safe space (when they) come into a training room,” Porter said. “They can tell me about their day, or sometimes, when they don't feel like they're performing their best, we evaluate the situation, see what's going on and what needs to be done to get them performing at their best level. Whether that is being just that they need somebody to talk to or vent to, or if they have a sprained ankle, they have a headache for the day or whatever — just helping in every single aspect to get them playing to their best ability, best of their ability, on the field, the court or whatever (is the key).”