Lawrence High trainer Jeremy Goates wraps up the wrist of LHS wide receiver Jared Vinoverski before kickoff of last Thursday's game against Olathe Northwest.

As a fullback on the 1996 Salina Central football team, Jeremy Goates experienced the jubilation of winning a Class 5A state championship inside Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium.

That same year Goates endured the pain of a separated left shoulder. The shoulder never fully healed and has slipped out hundreds of time since, even in his sleep.

Plagued by the injury, Goates spent much of his time rehabbing with the school’s athletic trainer, an experience that ultimately determined his career path.

“I had two surgeries on my shoulder, so I dealt a lot with the physical therapy and the rehab aspect of it,” said Goates, who had a permanent screw implanted in his shoulder when his playing days ended. “I did a lot of rehab, and I kind of liked (it), so when I went to college I looked into it a little bit and decided it was for me.”

Goates, 28, traded in his helmet and shoulder pads for tape and gauze and now finds himself in his first year as head athletic trainer at Lawrence High.

He couldn’t be happier with his career choice or current situation.

“I love it here,” Goates said. “This was the job I always wanted once I graduated.”

Goates’s journey to LHS saw stops at two other Sunflower League schools. After graduating from KU in 2002, Goates went to work for the Kansas Center of Athletic Medicine.

While there he was hired as head trainer at Leavenworth High upon completion of his certification test in 2004. But Goates, who lives just five blocks from Lawrence High with his wife, Marieke, and 1-year-old son Andrew, was commuting 45 miles each way.

“That wasn’t very fun,” he said. “Then I got the Free State job, and that was nice because it was in town, but I still had to commute across town.”

After a year with the Firebirds, Goates found the LHS opening and knew the job would be an ideal fit.

“The kids and the coaches have responded well,” he said. “They’ve respected my rules and what I’m about.”

In just one month, Goates’s passion and dedication to his craft already have earned him the admiration of his peers.

“We’re tickled to death to have Jeremy,” LHS football coach Dirk Wedd said. “I love his work ethic, and I love the way he communicates with our kids. Whatever he says is like any other coach.”

Goates has enlisted the help of two KU students from the athletic training program. They’ll be with him until December. Each expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to work with him.

“We’re definitely learning a lot,” junior Alaina Gray said.

“He’s a lot of fun and he’s very knowledgeable,” senior Katie Pierce added. “He has a different perspective on how to do stuff rather than the trainers at KU. It gives us a good balance to see how Division I trainers do things as opposed to high school trainers.”

There have been some rough patches since Goates officially started work at LHS on Aug. 13.

His 5-foot-7 frame quickly dropped 15 pounds – even below his high school playing weight of 180 pounds – because he was so busy balancing his job at Advantage Medical Group during the day and handling duties as a trainer for seven different sports the rest of the time. That included working in the blistering heat of three-a-day football practices.

“I was about as tired as I’ve ever been,” Goates said. “I’ve never been with a school that had three practices. So, I was running around quite a bit.”

All in all, Goates said he has little to complain about. He still roams the sidelines during football season on Friday nights, albeit in a different capacity.

“I really enjoy the high school setting on a game night,” Goates said. “There’s a lot of things you can do with athletic training in the clinic setting, but you miss out on the anticipation, and you get a little adrenaline flowing because you know what competition is like. Being there and seeing the kids play, you’re right there on the sideline, so you’re still a part of the game.

“It’s probably the next best thing to playing.”

Goates said it’s as if he found a new family at Lawrence High, and it appears the relationship will last as long as he wants.

“Jeremy can call this home for him now and set it up the way he wants it,” LHS athletic director Ron Commons said. “Our staff around here is helping him make that transition and we’re excited about it.”