By Jack Allen
Executive Opinion Editor
From dislocated ankles to concussions, Costa’s head athletic trainer, Tim Cooper, has helped treat and prevent athletic-related injuries for athletes for the past 25 years.
Cooper started his career at Costa after receiving his athletic training degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills and becoming certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association. Cooper works to help prevent students from getting injured, as well as to help treat injuries.
“Everything Tim does is so helpful,” senior Ashley Duncan said. “For me, he has been a lifesaver countless times with my athletics and as a friend. He fixes us both mentally and physically, I honestly think there is no one better suited for the job.”
Before becoming Costa’s head athletic trainer, Cooper trained the Costa boys basketball team in 1989 with the help of American Government teacher and former boys basketball coach Glenn Marx.
“I’ve worked at the professional Division I and international level, and he is as good as any trainer I’ve ever seen,” Marx said. “He is an inspirational and motivational leader in our Athletic Department.”
Every three years, Cooper attends mandatory continuing education units seminars to keep up with the latest advancements in sports medicine. These CEUs are seminars that are meant to help athletic trainers maintain the skills necessary to aid student-athletes with injuries as well as teach various methods of treatment as medicine continues to change and evolve.
“You learn how to handle yourself and what you should be doing at all times while on the field,” Cooper said. “This is also where you learn advancements in treating concussions, elbows, knees and all different body parts as well as your first-aid treatment skills.”
Cooper starts his day at 9:30 a.m., and as of this year, spends the first two hours of his day as Costa’s athletic coordinator. His duties include organizing transportation for all of the sports teams at Costa and making sure that all of the referees and umpires are paid on time and according to schedule.
After he finishes those tasks, he prepares his office for the students who will arrive during lunch to receive training and preparation taping for their practices, which are held after school. According to Cooper, he treats or prepares anywhere between 150 and 175 students per day.
“I cannot express how awesome Tim is,” senior Juliana Loiola said. “He is always there to help us whenever we are in need of it. We wish that he would be able to come to the away meets more.
Not only does Cooper travel with the Costa football team to all of its away games, but he also travels as often as he can with other Costa programs, such as basketball and volleyball. When traveling with the teams, Cooper will often work a 12-hour day.
“I love it here at Mira Costa because it is a great place to be,” Cooper said. “Often times I take Costa losses much harder than some of our players even do because even though it is somewhat of a cliché, I like to say that ‘I bleed truly green and gold.’”
Cooper’s love for Costa is rooted in his belief that the Costa population has a family-oriented mentality where all students are welcome to come to his office, even though it is secluded from both the academic campus as well as social campus and focuses solely on Mira Costa’s athletics.
“Everybody at Costa really cares for each other,” Cooper said. “My favorite part is seeing alumni come back and visit me or seeing certain athletes who I have personally helped through rehab succeed. It lets me know that I am doing my job the right way.”
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