Warwick townlively.com
APRIL 30, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXVI • NO 8
When medical needs arise, Sheila Hershey answers the call BY JEFF FALK
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et’s face it. If student-athletes are going to practice hard and play sports at a high level, they’re bound to get hurt. Injuries are a part of the game. But when those inevitable injuries do occur, we want student-athletes to receive immediate attention from qualified health care professionals. We need certified athletic trainers like Sheila Hershey. “We are health care professionals who work in collaboration with team physicians,” said Hershey, who’s been Warwick’s athletic trainer for 14 years. “During a normal school day, we are seeing athletes for rehabilitation and the treatment of injuries. Then, we are covering games and practices. Being on-site helps us to respond to an injury, if it occurs, quickly.”
Athletic trainers are not doctors. Perhaps the best way to characterize their level of expertise is to relate them to emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with a totally different set of skills and scope of training. “Athletic trainers are there to take that question off our coaches,” said Hershey. “(Coaches) might not be able to ascertain if a student-athlete has a concussion or concussion symptoms. Coaches are there to coach. But if a medical emergency happens, we’re also there for that.” Athletic injuries come in all different shapes, forms and severity levels. Sometimes, Hershey’s duties involve taping ankles, helping shaken-up competitors off the playing field or simply providing a bag of ice. But she’s also trained to administer CPR and to diagnose serious injuries like broken bones and concussions.
It’s important for student-athletes to know that someone like Hershey is always there just in case. “(Injuries) are definitely inevitable,” said Hershey, a resident of Lititz. “We’re seeing more injuries and more overuse injuries. We’re promoting the importance of being multi-sport athletes. But you shouldn’t be over-training. It takes a toll on (student-athletes’) bodies. There’s definitely an element of resiliency, but some of our younger athletes are more at risk for some injuries because their bodies aren’t fully developed yet.” There are hundreds of student-athletes in the Warwick School District competing in dozens of scholastic sports. Similarly, Hershey attends hundreds of interscholastic events and practices each school year. “But we can’t be at two places
Warwick athletic trainer Sheila Hershey provides medical care during a
LCCTC-Brownstown opens different doors for students BY JEFF FALK
There are different topics, different subjects. It’s a different kind of learning. It’s a different kind of teaching. At the Brownstown campus of the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC), students are encouraged to explore fields they are interested in. That type of empowerment broadens horizons. “I can walk through our school,
Elizabeth Roberts is bringing color to her little piece of the world BY JEFF FALK
and I can go from one world to another,” said Justin Bruhn, principal at LCCTC-Brownstown. “It’s really amazing what’s under our roof. I like to walk into programs and say, ‘What are you doing today?’ It’s just a great environment. There’s enthusiasm. There’s ambition. There are a lot of students finding their ways. Some are finding how they learn best.” Located at 231 Snyder Road, Ephrata, Brownstown is one
Art can change demeanors. Art can spark imaginations. Art can develop personalities. Elizabeth Roberts is using art to inspire others, in very much the same way that it has inspired her. Elizabeth is a 17-year-old junior at Warwick High School, an artist and a philanthropist. She is the founder of Inspiring Brushstrokes, a licensed local nonprofit that distributes art supplies to children in the Warwick School District between the ages of 3 and 13. “I really hope that (children) will feel appreciated and seen,” said Elizabeth. “Art supplies are expensive, so they’re not usually a priority. I want
See LCCTC-Brownstown pg 3
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Inspiring Brushstrokes founder Elizabeth Roberts
See Inspiring Brushstrokes pg 4 distributes art supplies at an event.
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See Sheila Hershey pg 5 soccer match last fall.
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