Athletic Trainer, Hendrick Hudson High School
“You never know the impact you may have on someone's life.”
Born in Montrose, New York, Meg Greiner has always had a love for the game along with helping people. Her drive and determination led her to find her true calling in athletic training, which has led her to make a big impact on her student-athletes.
Growing up, Meg was not entirely sure what she wanted to do for a career. However, as a three-sport athlete, which included field hockey, basketball, and soccer, in high school, she knew that sports would always be a part of her life. It was during this time that her father introduced her to athletic training, and she immediately fell in love with the idea. “I liked the idea of being on the field with athletes and being the first to respond to injuries,” Greiner said.
Greiner attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts where she received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and her Master of Science in Athletic Administration. After the completion of grad school, Greiner accepted a position at Hudson Valley Sports Institute. At this institution, it provided athletic trainers to local high schools in the area. After being at the institution for 4 years, Greiner accepted a position as an athletic trainer for Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose, New York where she has been since 2001.
Behind every student-athlete, there is an athletic trainer cheering them on and being their biggest cheerleader. The relationship and trust between a student-athlete and athletic trainer is so important. “I love the relationships I have with my student-athletes. They know that I am there to help them in any situation and want to keep them playing whatever sport they love. I feel that they know I am someone who they can come and talk to about anything,” Greiner said. Greiner treats her student-athletes as her own, and one of the most rewarding parts of her job is when an athlete returns to the sport they love after an injury. Another rewarding part of Greiner’s job is “when athletes come back and say they went into athletic training because of how she helped them when they were injured or even if they were never injured.”
Greiner's love for athletic training and her student athletes is evident in her relationship with them. Greiner believes mental health is an essential part of her athletes’ well-being. Greiner has started a mental health club at Hendrick Hudson High School for student-athletes to bring awareness and help athletes handle the stressful things in their lives. “I believe that mental health is so important to address, and my goal is to let our student-athletes know that asking for help is ok,” Greiner stated.
Greiner has worked with many wonderful individuals in her life. One person she admires is Elaine Winslow-Redmond, the athletic trainer for the Radio City Rockettes. Greiner and Redmond have become good friends, and Greiner can ask for her opinion on situations, if needed. Redmond is someone Greiner looks up to because of how she started the athletic training program for the Rockettes many years ago. Greiner has also had the opportunity to work with the leadership of the New York State Athletic Training Association for the past few years as a committee chair, which has introduced her to other athletic trainers. She has stepped outside her comfort zone and increased her confidence.
Kinematic Company understands the stress and roller coaster of emotions athletic trainers and student-athletes can experience. That is why we design our products like SidelinER PRO with athletic trainers and athletes in mind to provide an easy-going and calm environment to provide the best care possible. Greiner has been using SidelinER PRO since 2020; “I use it mostly for football games and it has provided a private area to evaluate an injury when needed. It is easy to put up and down when needed,” Greiner said.
Overall, Meg Greiner is a passionate and dedicated athletic trainer who loves her job and the relationships she has with her student-athletes. She is continually looking for ways to improve her skills and provide the best possible care to her athletes.
Learn more about SidelinER PRO: https://www.kinematiccompany.com/sidelinerpro
Written by Allison Ragland