Mr. Hardy is the healthcare pathway teacher at Cartersville High School. He is married and has 3 kids. He went to school at Samford University in Birmingham, AL and got his bachelor’s degree (4 years) in Athletic training and California University of Pennsylvania and got his master’s degree in Human Performance and Injury Prevision.

Did you know you wanted to teach? What was your original plan?

Mr. Hardy: No, originally, I was an Athletic Trainer but then saw a need and an open opportunity for athletic trainers in the school system as a teacher, so I went back and took a few more courses to satisfy my science teaching certificate.

How long have you been a teacher/Sports Med?

Mr. Hardy: 17 years …… I have been an athletic trainer for 22 years.

Who/what got you into healthcare? When did you know this is the career you wanted to take?

Mr. Hardy: My high school athletic trainer his name is Rick Mianulli.

When did Sorts Med become a thing? Was it already a class or did you add it?

Mr. Hardy: No, I developed the class. I didn’t develop the healthcare pathway, but we added Sports Medicaine because of my degree in athletic training.

What is Sports Med?

Mr. Hardy: Sports medicine is a big umbrella of […] a medical community that takes care of athletes. So, it can be any were from an athletic trainer, physical therapist, dietician, sports phycology, orthopedics, neurology all of those guys help out the athlete perform better so, that’s the big umbrella of sports medicine.

How can you get involved/w the Sports Med team? What is required?

Mr. Hardy: First of all, you have to be in the healthcare pathway. Second criteria, you have to […] apply in the spring around spring football. Then you have to be excepted through the application process. Then you interview it’s about a two to three-week interview process. Then you get chosen to be on the team. Based on performance, grades.

Where would you like this program to go in the future?

Mr. Hardy: I would really like …. to add an athletic trainer to the middle school so that I have students at the middle school level coming up that have already kind of been introduced to it, but I would have to talk with the principle down there to see if there is availability. […] I would like to add to our clinic, equipment so that we can take care of the athletes a little better.

What would you like your students to learn/gain from this program?

Mr. Hardy: A better understanding of sports injuries, how to care for athletes, the different personalities, how to tape, being more organized, time management that kind of stuff.