Knights Honor Tori Alexander

By Russell Hodge and Rebecca Plantholt

Rosedale, Md.— In the month of March in the United States, one thing we like to do is to with our time is pay tribute to one unique job, athletic trainers. We call it Athletic Trainer Appreciation Month. Still wearing her fresh and new Essex Knights armor, Tori Alexander has been the CCBC Essex head athletic trainer since her hire in summer 2021.

Tori has always had a love of sports and has been fascinated with the idea of becoming an athletic trainer since she suffered an injury in high school and had to receive treatment for it. Playing multiple sports at her all-girls high school, Seton Keough, she then went on to be a tri-sport athlete at Anne Arundel Community College, participating in soccer, cross country, and lacrosse, before moving on to play lacrosse at Berry College as she finished her undergraduate degree. From there, Tori earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology and then Master of Science in Athletic Training from Texas A&M University.

Prior to her time with NovaCare, she has worked with U.S. Lacrosse, the Connecticut Hammerheads (a Major League Lacrosse team), and ATI Physical Therapy, serving as an Athletic Training and Early Intervention Specialist.

Tori enjoys what she calls the "family environment" that CCBC Essex provides. Greg Witkop, the Administrator of Essex Athletics, says Tori is truly a team player. "Having Tori on board is a game changer. Her work ethic is unmatched and is dedicated to helping the student-athletes perform the best that they are able."

Getting to meet and interact with all of the unique personalities that she meets along the way here is one of her favorite things about being a trainer at CCBC Essex. For someone aspiring to become an athletic trainer such as herself, Tori advises them to be very passionate about it. "If you are not passionate for this field, you can get burned out very quickly." Tori dreams to one day work for one of the United States women's teams as an athletic trainer whether that be soccer, lacrosse or another sport.