getting them back to baseline. We try not to
have it where one player only ever sees one
trainer – each of us has to understand what
we’re doing with each player, since any one
of us might have to step in at a given time.
The earliest I might get home is 11:30
for a night game. But I could be here until
1 a.m., depending on the length of the game
and what’s going with the players. Even
on the quick turnaround for a day game,
though, I won’t spend the night. I like the
clean break of going home and resetting for
the next day. If I can say good morning to
my wife and two daughters (8 and 3 years
old), it’s worth it.
What’s it like once the game starts, and how
do you determine which trainer goes on the
field to check on a player?
OLSEN: We rotate three-inning intervals
as far as going on the field (if needed), and
have two guys in the dugout at all times.
One person staffs the training room, doing
the notes on what treatment has been done
on which players that day – that paperwork
is required legally – and other administrative
tasks. But he also might be treating a player
who has played but is no longer in the game.
During the game, one big focus for us is
the hydration of each player and tracking
intakes. Players are distracted because their
mind is on the game, so we do a pretty
thorough job analyzing their sweat and
hydration levels. Our coolers have numbers
on the bottles so they go to the right
players in the right innings. Another part
is interacting with the players and making
sure they’re OK, or observing how players
are moving during the game. In the end, you
want to prevent big injuries.
When they do happen on the field, you
get tunnel vision. I don’t realize the crowd
around me – I’m focused on what we have
to do immediately to help the player.
How much of your job is preventive vs.
treatment?
OLSEN: We’re about 75 percent
preventive and 25 percent reactive. As a
staff, we try to have our hands on as many
players as possible every day. If someone is
feeling tension in a certain muscle, or if you
look at their thoracic spine – these players
are very rotational athletes – and it’s not
rotated in a symmetrical way, you can try
to make some sort of adjustment prior to
the game so they’re less predisposed to an
injury. With pitchers, for example, if you
can’t do what you need to do through your
core, your spine and your hips, a lot of times
the outcome is going to show up in your
shoulder or elbow.
There was a time where you never saw
position players. That’s less and less now.
They want to be involved as it optimizes
their readiness to play. We probably see more
position players for prevention than ever
before.How does the flow of information work
among the trainers, the coaching staff and the
front office?
OLSEN: As head trainer, my job is like a
moderator of an ongoing conversation.I can’t possibly be on top of everything. You
have to trust your staff to help these players
as much as you personally could. Then we
make sure that information is funneled
to the coaching staff and the front office.
When you add a player to the disabled list,
it’s more than just adding that one person.
It’s the administrative work, the prediction
of how long they may be out, all of the
conversation. It’s exponential for the work
that’s involved with just one player.
Sometimes, I can add information
pregame to help with in-game decisions, like
who might pinch-hit in the seventh inning.
I might tell the manager and coaches, “This
player is good, but he’s feeling a little bit of
this today.” That might steer their thinking
in a different direction as they consider,
“Who is most ready for this task in this
moment?” There’s a bevy of information to
consider with all of the moves in a game,
and I can help that decision-making. They
want that information.Olsen and his staff, including assistant Chris Conroy, are as integral to the team as
anyone on the roster. “They know we have their best interests at heart,” Olsen says.CARDINALS MAGAZINE 29