It’s 1 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and Huntley’s athletic trainer walks into the building to start her day. It’s not just any regular day. It’s a Friday night, just before the football game, and the athletic training room is bustling with football players asking to be taped.
From taping wrists to ankles, Sarah Jakubek paces herself as she makes ice bags, packing tape in her bag, and mixing blue raspberry Gatorade to tend to athletes’ needs. The athletic training room may be chaotic, but there is a calm in the storm when she works tirelessly to rehabilitate injured athletes.
Jakubek, who earned her undergraduate degree in exercise science at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and her master’s in athletic training at Trinity International University, is a well-known figure to Huntley athletes. “I shattered my foot and Sarah was there to save the day,” said sophomore Oscar Quiroz, who plays offensive guard for varsity football. “I met her by walking up to her and asking if my foot was okay.”
Quiroz was in the athletic training room every day after school, working on putting himself back onto the field, with Jakubek always there to support him. After 6 weeks of being in a boot, Quirnoz was cleared to get back onto the football field, thanks to Jakubek.
Jakubek is one of the main trainers, alongside coworkers Paul Gerhardt and Joey Carnana. However, there are some of Huntley’s student body who volunteer to work alongside Jakubek and assist with taping and sports events.
“I love working with Sarah,” senior athletic training student aid Kylie Szymczak said. “You are held to a high standard, and have an expectation to know what you are doing.”
Student athletes work hard to maintain their grades to be eligible to play and to maintain their bodies. An injury could set them back a whole season, causing athletes to not admit their injuries, especially if they don’t know the trainer well enough.
“From an athlete standpoint, it is intimidating, but once you get to know her, she is a down-to-earth and heartwarming person,” Szymczak said.
Jakubek has a connection with all her athletes, making them feel like they are in the best care.
“She has a good connection with the athletes,” senior athletic training student aid Edrienn Bautista said. “She is fast at her tapings and gives quality care.”
Jakubek’s passion for athletic training started early as she herself was in cheerleading in high school and got injured.
“It was my junior year of high school, I had an injury and I was in the training room every day, all day with my high school trainer,” Jakubek said. “I took a sports medicine class and I just fell in love with it, I [was] always interested and wanted to learn.”
Jakubek is a staple to athletes at Huntley High School and plans to continue her career rehabilitating future generations of Huntley athletes and getting them back onto the field.
