Carly Shimp grew up playing sports at Glenwood Springs High School (GSHS), but it was a class she took with the school’s long-time athletic trainer, Marni Barton, that would eventually bring her back full circle to the Roaring Fork Valley.
After earning respective degrees in athletic training and exercise physiology from Grand Canyon University and the University of Northern Colorado, Shimp recently became the new athletic trainer at Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) in Carbondale.
She’s now part of a team of athletic trainers who provide sports medicine services to area high schools through Valley View Hospital and its orthopedic services division, ValleyOrtho.
“I had always wanted to do something in the medical field, and after I took Marni’s class I just fell in love with it and decided that’s what I wanted to do,” Shimp said.
The student trainer class teaches high school students about sports injury, managing injury, taping and treating minor injuries during practices and games. It provides a solid base for any students who might want to pursue a career in sports medicine after high school.
After taking the class, Shimp became a student athletic trainer at GSHS under Barton, observing her during practices and games and continuing to learn. Upon graduation in 2017, she decided that was the career path she wanted.
“It’s great to get that experience early, and to follow someone and see things first hand,” said Shimp. “It’s definitely a demanding and time-consuming job, so you have to be passionate about it.”
ValleyOrtho partners with the Roaring Fork School District to provide a full-time athletic trainer at GSHS, Roaring Fork High School and Basalt High School.
Barton is the lead trainer overseeing the program. The other trainers are Ryan Erickson at Roaring Fork and Mike McCann at Basalt.
The program was created 26 years ago by Ross Peterson, director of rehabilitation services at Valley View Hospital. With the support of Dr. Tito Liotta, the long-time orthopedic surgeon with ValleyOrtho, trainers and supplies are provided at no cost to the schools.
“This is so important to the community that we don’t want cost to be an issue,” Peterson said. “We cover all of the related expenses, from personnel to the supplies that are needed.”
Peterson was the first trainer serving Glenwood Springs and Roaring Fork high schools, and over the years the program grew to include the three full-time trainers, and now Shimp, who is part-time at CRMS.
ValleyOrtho began covering boys and girls soccer games at CRMS about eight years ago, Peterson said.
With the addition of Shimp, those services can now extend to a variety of other competitive sports and activities offered by the independent prep school, such as cross country running, rock climbing, skiing and mountain biking.
Shimp also works with the Aspen Gentlemen rugby team and assists with coverage at the other area high schools and community sports events, including Ruggerfest and a recent lacrosse tournament.
She has regular hours three days a week on campus at CRMS, taking care of any students who have sports-related injuries and covering home soccer games.
“I really enjoy just being at all the games and being around the athletic community,” Shimp said. “That’s always been fun for me, and I enjoy that environment.”
Peterson started similar programs working with high school athletic programs in Minnesota and Summit County before he came to Glenwood Springs.
ValleyOrtho initially worked with Garfield Re-2 and District 16 schools to provide athletic trainers, but those programs are now overseen by Grand River Health.
“It’s something I know I appreciated as a parent myself with kids who played sports,” Peterson said. “It’s peace of mind for a parent to know someone is there thinking about the kids’ best interests.”
Athletic trainers are the first line of handling sports injuries.
Physicians also attend home football games to provide additional medical care to the athletes, attending to injuries including possible concussions. In the case of a concussion, an athlete must be cleared by a physician to initiate the Return to Sport protocol.
Any student with an injury related to sports or physical activity can also visit ValleyOrtho at no cost for a first initial visit, Peterson said.
Athletic trainer program a homecoming of sorts for Carly Shimp
