Celebrating Athletic Training Month: Get to Know Nick Thomas
The month of March brings about National Athletic Training Month, an initiative to acknowledge and celebrate athletic trainers everywhere. This year’s slogan? “ATs are essential to healthcare!”
No matter the sport, age, or level, athletic trainers (ATs) play a pivotal role in the success of athletes, on and off the field. In celebration of the profession and the important work athletic trainers do every day, we talked with our very own Nick Thomas, MS, ATC, CES, PES.
Join us as we learn more about how Nick ended up where he is today, how his unique role at the Fischer Institute allows him to work with and treat some of the most elite athletes across the country, and how he has become an integral member of their care team!
How did you get started at the Fischer Institute?
I first met Brett Fischer when I was interning for the Arizona Cardinals. I then met with Tom Reed, the Head Athletic Trainer of the Arizona Cardinals at a convention back in August 2012. We just started talking about where I was, what I was doing, and the things I was looking for in my career going forward. I was working at a Division II school at the time, which I loved, but it was only part-time, and I was looking for something a little steadier.
After the convention, it turned out the Athletic Trainer at the Fischer Institute was leaving, and Brett was in search for a new full-time hire. When Tom heard the news, he reached out to Brett and told him he should give me a call. I was sitting on a backhoe digging a foundation for a winery when I received that call. True story.
Brett said he had two requirements for the position:
I have a strong work ethic.
I care about helping people.
He said that after those two requirements, he can teach me anything else. After that, I was pretty much sold and knew I wanted to head back to Arizona for the position. I’ve been with Fischer ever since.
“Nick is an amazing athletic trainer. I first started working with him when he was with the AZ Cardinals. His warm personality and amazing skill set convinced me to hire him! It was one of the best business decisions I ever made. Nick has amazing manual skills and understanding of exercise prescription but what sets Nick apart is his caring nature with each and every patient he works with.” – Brett Fischer, PT, ATC, CSCS, CERT. DN, ASTYM
How is your experience as an Athletic Trainer at the Fischer Institute different from what other Athletic Trainers experience?
I’ve never worked in any other clinics so I can only speak to how we are here at Fischer, but I’ve had plenty of people tell me what it is like in other clinics. My experience places me in a unique position not only to Fischer and Spooner, but also to the athletic training community across the country. It is all about the team atmosphere at Fischer, and that includes me as the AT. We all bring something unique to the table as far as our experiences go. My experience working with sports in the past has given me more help with progressing some of the athletes because I understand the level they have to get back to in order to perform, along with giving me different ideas on progressions for those individuals. It is the same thing with patients as well. My background allows me to see things a little bit differently and put my two cents on the table. And then collectively we come up with a plan. Most rehabs we do we see as a group rehab because we all play a part, we all bounce things off each other, and we work together in a team atmosphere to achieve the goals of the patient.
What do you think contributes to your success in this role?
Honestly, most of my success is because of the team atmosphere. You’re probably going to get sick of hearing me say that. Everybody here has contributed to my growth. Whether it’s working directly with Brett on higher level athletes, running through ideas with Trent, seeing how attentive to detail K2 is, bouncing off of Austin’s energy, or developing treatment plans with Jarad, all of them play a role in my success and have helped me along the way. There is not a day that goes by where I am not learning. There’s just something really special about this atmosphere and this team.
What is your favorite part about being an Athletic Trainer?
Definitely when I help a patient achieve their goal and accomplish what they want to do. That’s something really special. I have one in mind that I always think about. He came in with some neurological issues after a surgery and with help from Trent and K2, we were able to help him make tremendous improvements. By the time we got done, he jogged sporadically in the Pat Tillman run. Seeing him go from having trouble with stepping up on a four-inch box to running in that race was very, very rewarding.
What is one of your favorite memories here at Fischer?
Getting the Step Brothers poster from one of our patients that has me and him on it. It’s so great. It’s front and center, you can’t miss it.
Any advice to future Athletic Trainers?
A lot of times, it is about who you know that gets you in the door at places, but it is what you know and your work ethic that will keep you there. Learning is an ever-evolving process. There is always new information out there that you can continue to stimulate yourself and grow so you don’t get complacent. This will allow you to provide the best care to your patients.
Interested in working with Nick and the rest of the Fischer team? Click here to schedule an appointment!
About Spooner Physical Therapy:
Spooner Physical Therapy has been promoting movement in the Valley of the Sun since Tim Spooner, PT, FAFS, CEO started the practice in 1990. From employees to patients to community and healthcare partners, Spooner Physical Therapy’s core purpose is helping people achieve. Our physical therapists and hand therapists strive for the greatest possible outcome and we promise an exceptional patient experience. We value greatly our community relationships and the loyalty of our patients whom we have had the pleasure to serve. We will employ these same philosophies and dedication to athletes as we forge the path to bringing an accessible and world-class sports medicine program to all corners of the valley.
Spooner Physical Therapy is working in conjunction with the Fischer Institute Team to bring the best in Sport Medicine to all 22 Spooner Physical Therapy locations across the Valley.
