by Janet Rohrbach         some staff members. "And if we had another person here, the
                         athletes would get even better care, but because I'm limited
Loretta Bresolin carries a huge red tool box, and treatsin space and manpower, it can get quite challenging around
"blown-out knees".       here, especially during playoff time."
 She's not UW's local mechanic; she's the athletic therapist Another Athletic Injury Clinic is scheduled to be opened
for 31 varsity sports teams.shortly in the new athletic complex on the north campus.
 Bresolin treats 45 to 55 athletes a day, and works an Bresolin also gives drug education seminars to first-year
average of 60 to 65 hours a week She is on call seven days astudents on the Hepititis B and the HIV virus. She belongs
week from mid-August to the end of March, to take care ofto the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association and the Ontario
the athletes who get hurt in the gym or on the field, andAthletic Therapy Association.
she treats sports injuries at the Athletic Injury Clinic in Before coming to UW she did extensive volunteer work at
the Blue North section of the Physical Activities Complex.Ryerson Polytechnic University, was a therapist for a men's
 Bresolin carries that red toolbox with her just abouthockey team, taught fitness, and spent the last eight years
everywhere. The portable first-aid kit treats anything fromdoing therapy - "everything short of playing football" with
sprained dislocated fingers to "blown-out" knees - completea senior men's team in Brampton, she adds.
tears of ligaments.       She still enjoys participating in sports, not just treating
 "Last year was the knee year; there were definitely fivethe injuries. She gets out for slow pitch and golfing, and
last year," she reports. tries to work out as much as she can. She used to play
 Most of Bresolin's treatment is with high-risk football andvolleyball, but now her job conflicts with playing.
hockey injuries. She treats ankle fractures, lots of chronic Besides a kinesiology or human kinetics background, a
injuries, and tendonitis, work which comes down to beingpsychology or sociology background is helpful for work as an
preventive education, urging players to do warmups andathletic therapist, she says, since "you're dealing with the
stretches before hitting the field.athlete's mental health. Sometimes you have to be a
 Bresolin attends every football game, and every home hockeypersonal, physical and school counsellor rolled into one. I
game; she travels with the teams whenever she can. "If wework as a sounding board, and give advice and guidance. I
make it to any CIAU finals, I travel with the team to behave referred some athletes to psychologists."
there."                   During May and June Bresolin takes continuing education
 "I do a lot of preventive medicine, assessment of injuries,courses and attends conferences offered through the Canadian
and rehabilitation right here on campus. We have the basicsAthletic Therapy Association (CATA).
here," she says. She is very keen on preventive medicine and This  past summer was her  first summer off in years. "It's
on telling injured athletes the short and long term effectsa nice change of pace," she reports. "This is a high-stress,
of their injuries. "Sometimes athletes don't take my advice,pretty draining job, but it's always lots of fun. We have so
but I try to keep it on a positive keel."much fun back in this corner of the PAC. It's a good staff
 She has a saying: "You can't treat stupidity. I don't haveto work with. Something funny is always happening here.
time to chase athletes. There's always another athlete that "Sometimes I play matchmaker with a female from one team,
needs treatment and help."and a male from another varsity team.
 She has to assess and rehabilitate every injury, and later "On really hectic days, I've got to ask myself why I'm
the athletes have to come back to her for re-assessment anddoing this. But you have to be a very flexible person."
rehabilitation. "I could have10 to 12 athletes in the clinic The rewards? The thank-you cards she keeps on the shelf in
at a time. I usually know when a male athlete might beher office are the reminders that "keep me going. They give
embarrassed or shy when being examined. I try to put them atme that little lift.É Or an athlete may come in and say,
ease. My attitude is, I respect their domain, and theyLoretta, take a break, we're buying you an ice cream!"
respect mine, as long as I treat them professionally." And, she says, "Athletes are gems to work with. Things like
 Bresolin has 50 or so volunteer student therapists workinga thank-you letter from a first-year student the other day
with her. She accepts a dozen volunteers each term. "Somereminds me why I'm here."
years are good for volunteers, others aren't. Last year we
had only four volunteers."
 Bresolin teaches a varsity student therapist course which
prepares the students for the reality of working with a team
or in a clinic. "They can put in 60 hours plus. If I didn't
have the volunteers, athletes wouldn't get the care they
need."
 She has also treated coaches from the hockey, badminton,
volleyball and basketball teams, the student therapists, and