I am very very happy to announce that after 3.5 years at Valley High School, I've taken a position at Christian Academy of Louisville. I will be working with the same company, I'll just be changing high schools. I am very excited about this move but it was not a decision Nick and I came to easily.
When it came time to tell the coaches I was leaving, it was something I dreaded. The move is happening mid-year and we had not yet hired my replacement. These were people that I considered to be good friends. We were in this together. We were here for these kids when their parents weren't. And now I was leaving. Luckily they all were supportive and understanding but sad. I was the first athletic trainer they'd ever had.
When I told the coaches I was leaving the first question everyone asked was "Why?" and this was the very question I had to ask myself when I heard about the position coming open this fall. The most obvious advantage is the proximity to home. I was driving nearly 50 miles round trip to Valley everyday and that certainly ate away at my time and money. CAL is a mere 11 miles from my house and I can even get there without getting on the highway. Then there the amazing parental support at CAL. At Valley there basically is none and this was something I struggled with everyday. It made it hard to get kids into the doctor for the care they needed and this was something that would weigh on me when I was at home with my own family. When I started to bring this all home with me I knew it was time for a change. I wanted to love my job and as a mother that's more important than ever. And finally there is the obvious financial advantage to working at a private Christian school as opposed to a poor public school. Enough cannot be said about having the resources available to do your job the best you can do.
Even with all this in mind it was still hard because the unknown is scary. Would the coaches like me? Would I like the coaches? Would they support me? Could I handle all the sports that CAL has? Every athletic trainer knows it's very hard to get your footing in a new place and that can be even harder without the support of your AD and coaches. So was it worth leaving a place where I felt comfortable to be at a place that was in the end better? Nick and I agreed that it was.
Although CAL will be a much larger undertaking with four times as many athletes and sports, it is something I am very excited for. I can't express how much Valley still means to me. It was a great place to get my footing, learn a lot and make great friends. I would not have lasted there as long as I did without the help of the amazing coaching staffs. They are truly great people that don't get enough credit for what they do and what they put up with. I tell people I'm not leaving because of Valley, I'm leaving because of CAL.
I am looking forward to the coming months and all the new sports and athletes. I am excited to make a new family and CAL and am grateful for the opportunity I've been given.
Oh did I mention the best part about CAL? There's no wrestling... :)
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