CEDAR CITY — An Intermountain Health athletic trainer who supports student-athletes and teams at Cedar High School has been selected as Utah’s 2023-24 Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Utah Athletic Trainers Association.
Melissa Mendini-Gates has been a trainer at Cedar High School for nearly a decade and has developed a great bond during that time with student-athletes, coaches and parents whom she supports on the field and in the training room, according to a news release issued by Intermountain Health.
“Melissa is just outstanding, and our entire community trusts and loves her because she’s given so much to our entire county and school district,” said Eric Packer, president of Intermountain Cedar City Hospital. “This honor is well deserved for her dedication to athletes in her care.”
Mendini-Gates was nominated by her peers to be the Utah Athletic Trainers Association (UATA) Secondary Schools athletic trainer of the year. After being nominated for this award, it went to the Honors and Awards Committee for the UATA. The committee then determined that she should be the recipient of this prestigious award, the release states.
“As president of the UATA, I feel very proud that Melissa earned this award. She exemplifies excellence in athletic training,” said Marcus Homer, president of the Utah Athletic Trainers Association for Secondary Schools. “Cedar City High School is very lucky to have such a great athletic trainer and valued healthcare professional.”
Mendini-Gates is one of the dozens of Intermountain Health athletic trainers supporting student-athletes and high school teams across the state. Intermountain teams up with high schools across Utah to provide athletic trainers, and the release states they’ve “become an invaluable resource for keeping student-athletes healthy, safe and performing at their best.”
Mendini-Gates said her love for athletic training started with watching her dad, Ricky Mendini, the longtime athletic trainer at Southern Utah University.
“I was incredibly fortunate to have a dad as an athletic trainer,” said Mendini-Gates. “Athletic training allows me the ability to positively influence high school athletes, and it’s a rewarding experience to be able to educate them about their bodies, injuries, the healing process, and helping them return to the sport they’re passionate about.”
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