Athletic Director Tom Polambo announced August 24 that Gary Rizza will take the place of Kirsten Schrader as head athletic trainer for Guilford athletics. Schrader resigned recently to pursue other opportunities. Rizza, who graduated from Boston State College in 1982, and received his master’s degree from Boston University, has lived in Greensboro for 19 years. When he heard of the opening for head athletic trainer, he was immediately attracted to the position.

“At this stage in my career, this job is outstanding. I live here in Greensboro, I’ve been to many of Guilford’s sporting events, and am very familiar with Guilford football, and I know what it takes to be a trainer at the division three level,” Rizza said.

Rizza has accumulated a wide range of experience while working with professional, collegiate, and high school teams over his career as an athletic trainer. His experience includes work at the Goodwill Games, the Olympic Training Center, the United States Luge Association, and the New York Giants.

At the collegiate level, Rizza contributed to his expertise by working as the athletic trainer for Rockingham Community College’s baseball and basketball teams. He also spent nearly six years as an assistant athletic trainer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a fellow division-three school. Rizza served as head athletic trainer for the football team at MIT, while also working with 37 other athletic squads.

Rizza’s experience and knowledge for athletic training has directed him to other position. Rizza served as an instructor, coordinated MIT’s health and fitness center, and worked as the clinical supervisor for student athletic trainers at Northeastern University. Most recently, Rizza worked as the director of sports medicine outreach for TheraSport in nearby Eden, North Carolina.

Guilford athletes and coaches will enjoy having another knowledgeable trainer on the sidelines of practice and game fields, but the athletic program is also hoping for a long-term dedication from their new trainer. Rizza will be the third head athletic trainer in as many years.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunities in the past to learn new things, and now I have a great opportunity to finish my career here at Guilford,” Rizza said.

Like Rizza, other athletic trainers are confident about the future of Guilford’s athletic training.

“No matter what, we’re going to keep putting athletes first,” said assistant athletic trainer Danielle Duffy. “Things so far have gone well, and I think they’re going to keep getting better.”

Although Rizza has yet to meet a majority of Guilford’s athletes, he has been quick to make an impression on the ones he has met.

“Gary is very knowledgeable,” said junior football player Jordan Nelson. “He has some techniques I’ve never seen. But they work. He’s been working with me on my hamstring injury, and I’ve gone from not being able to run, to running at almost 100-percent now.”

Athletes are obviously impressed, and the word is spreading.

“I don’t play a sport, but I play a lot of pick up basketball. It’s good to know that there’s a guy like that around in case something serious happens,” said senior Pat Whitty. “I’ll probably make my way in there at some point.