AT Shoutout: Dylan Hide
As we continue to break the mold around how athletic trainers practice in a traditionally minded profession, we're excited to share Dylan Hide's story. He is a great example of self-advocacy and doing things on your own terms!
When Dylan first began contracting with ATvantage, he was placed at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, California. He was looking for something flexible that didn't require him to work long hours or weekends and allowed him to disconnect when he was off the clock.
Dylan was in the Military from 2013-2019 and was unable to request time off for the holidays or special occasions so having control over his schedule and the flexibility to travel back home to Washington DC when he wanted was important. As we know, this isn't always the case in the AT profession so being able to provide him with an opportunity where his needs are being met is something we are grateful for.
"I like the “request a sub” aspect of this because I have to travel to the East Coast, Washington DC, every holiday. This leaves fellow athletic trainers who are in the area to help out and gain some money during those times," Dylan shares.
And this all came to fruition in the fall of 2021. Dylan had tickets to head back east for Thanksgiving, but his football team had made it to the championships. Typically, he would have had to cancel his plans to stay with them. But nope, we worked to get him a sub so he could see family for the first time in years. This flexibility also allowed him to pursue another passion: the ability to travel back to Florence, Italy where he previously played semi-pro soccer.
"I had the opportunity to go back and I have not been back since 2004. I was able to find a sub for three weeks that I left. Not many other companies would you be able to do that. I am grateful for that! I got to see all my old friends and teammates!"
We loved hearing this from him because it's exactly what we stand for...work-life balance and being MORE than a trainer!
On his off time, Dylan enjoys playing soccer. "It is very relaxing and a good way to get some cardio and stretches in daily. I’m lucky I live a mile away from the Ocean, and on days that I am off early at PHHS, I wind my day down by “kicking it”."
It is ATs like Dylan who remind us of WHY we do what we do.
Providing flexible opportunities to ATs who want to remain working in the profession in their own way is our passion because burnout is high but ATs are essential to the health and safety of athletes.
We're not here to force the traditional way of doing things, we're here to support ATs in providing essential healthcare services in a way that fills them up, not drains them.
"Dylan has been great while working with ATvantage. He has advocated for his own work/life balance and is doing a great job at Patrick Henry High School," says Director of AT Operation, Ginny Garner.
Thank you, Dylan, we are grateful for the value you add and for trusting us to support you on your unique career path!
