Deep inside the hallways of St. Dominic, in a hidden room with no neighbors or Wi-Fi, lives one of the most under-appreciated staff members of the school: Sam the trainer.

Whether you know her as Miss Sam, Miss Fehlhafer or just simply Sam, she is the unsung hero of St. Dominic High School. Working as an athletic trainer for all sports seasons, Sam stays busy by making the student athletes the priority of her day. The students here make her job worthwhile.

“I like the [St. Dominic] community. Everybody knows everybody, everybody cares for everybody. There’s definitely a network and family environment here that I really appreciate,” said Sam.

Although she loves the community, St. Dominic does not take up the entirety of her busy schedule. Sam also splits her time at the Excel Sports & Physical Therapy.

“I’m the clinical tech coordinator at Excel Sports on Mexico Road. Basically, my job entails managing a staff of employees and helping them meet the needs of our physical therapists,” said Sam.

Her real talent lies in her ability to treat injuries with poise and accuracy. Game in and game out, Sam is always available for our student athletes.

“Back in September I was diagnosed with a concussion by Sam during a game against Borgia. She treated my concussion very cautiously and had me check in with her and take a test every day for a little over a week. Sam helped make my transition back to playing go smoothly,” said senior soccer player Charlie Weston.

From personal experience, Sam has been an impactful individual in my life. In the fall soccer season, I encountered an injury as well. During the second game of the season I fell down with a grade 2 ankle injury and was out for over a month. Sam was immensely helpful, offering physical therapy and recovery advice every day until my full return.

Whatever way you’ve been helped by Sam, even if you’ve never met her, her presence at St. Dominic is certainly felt every day. She truly is our own sideline superhero.