New Trainer Alex Wood is Really Good

Welcome, Alexandra  Wood, to the Demon Nation as our new athletic trainer. Members of Greenway High School have reported her to be extremely smart. She knows what’s best for all Greenway athletes, and she is determined to get all the athletes back on the field as soon as possible. She has been through multiple internships, including ones with the Arizona Cardinals and the Arizona State University football team. We are extremely fortunate to have her. I presented her with the following questions. 

How challenging was the school leading up to this athletic training job?

Athletic Training used to only require a Bachelor’s degree in a health field. Unfortunately for me, while I was in the middle of earning my Bachelor’s Degree, the requirement changed to require a Master’s degree. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Exercise Science with a minor in Nutrition and Healthy Living from Arizona State University in 2022 and my Master of Athletic Training from the University of Utah this past May (2025). I found that earning my Bachelor’s was harder than my Master’s because the Bachelor’s included core classes such as Math and English, which didn’t necessarily hold my interest. For my Master’s program, the entire curriculum was based on the skills and knowledge I would need as an Athletic Trainer. It contained significantly more information and rigorous testing than my bachelor’s degree, making it challenging, but I enjoyed the content and was highly motivated to learn all the available information. 

What were your job responsibilities before working at Greenway?

Greenway is my second career position. My first paid position was with the Arizona Cardinals last summer, where I was employed as a Training Camp Aide. I was responsible for the cleanliness/restocking of the Athletic Training Room, hydration of the players during practice, and rehab of the athletes when we weren’t practicing. I got to see Athletic Training at its highest level and learned valuable lessons on interacting with individuals from all over, all while providing the highest level of care. 

After your first mock game on Aug 20th, how do you feel the season is going to go?

From the perspective of Athletic Training, I feel that the season will come with its challenges. Football is a contact-heavy sport, so there will inevitably be injuries. My philosophy is to get the athletes back out there as quickly but as safely as possible. I want the students of Greenway to achieve their goals, and I am most involved in their athletic goals. That can mean anything from being able to make that game-winning score to just being on the field of play. Regardless, I want all Greenway athletes to be healthy and happy. 

What goal do you plan on achieving this year, and how will you get there?

A goal of mine for this year is to teach the students of the Sports Medicine Club to tape and demonstrate rehab exercises. It’ll be broken down into several lecture-style demonstrations with digital handouts that they can refer back to whenever they need. 

What are all the athletic training internships you’ve done? Which one was your favorite?

• Arizona State Football (4 seasons)
• University of Utah Football (1 season)
• Judge Memorial High School in SLC, UT (1 Fall semester)
• Mountain View High School in Mesa, AZ (1 Spring semester)
• Highland High School in SLC, UT ( 1 month)
• Orthopedic Center in SLC, UT (1 month)
• Salt Lake Community College (1 month)

My favorite was Mountain View High School in Mesa, AZ, because it was part of my educational experience. It was the final internship of my education, and I feel that I effectively applied all the knowledge and skills I had learned throughout my Master’s degree. I was able to perform as my own clinician for the first time. I also really enjoy working with the high school population, as I have found it is a great time to teach them how to take care of their bodies for the rest of their lives. More often than not, it is the first time that many of them experience pain, so being able to identify it and address it is a huge part of what I do.