It takes a certain kind of leader to have a successful and state-ranked sports medicine program, but Wenatchee High School Sports Medicine trainer and educator Dale Blair knows just how to get the job done, while enjoying it.

For the last 20 years, WHS’s sports medicine program has placed in the top four or better at the State sports medicine competition, and 15 of those years it has finished first or second, Blair said. For the 23 years that he has worked as the head sports medicine trainer, students have provided care and rehabilitation for athletes, and coverage of games for all of the Panther athletics. During this time, Blair says that he has many students who are able to help and learn the practicum. Currently, the sports medicine program has 90 students enrolled.

Blair is humble about his personal accomplishments, but says, “The biggest [accomplishment] is the pleasure that I get from working with and helping students get a start in the health care field. We’ve had several students that have gone on to become physicians, physical therapists, and more. That’s the most fulfilling.”

Over the years, Blair has been awarded with various honors such as being inducted into the Northwest Athletic Trainers’ Hall of Fame in 2006, being named the State Sports Medicine Instructor of the Year in 1995 and 2008, and being selected for the National Athletic Trainer Association’s Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer last year.

“I try to teach both practical and skill knowledge in sports medicine, and hopefully they can take those skills and transfer them to whatever they want to do either in health care or whatever career they want to go on. I teach skills that will hopefully help them be successful in whatever field that they want to pursue,” Blair said.

Blair first became involved in sports medicine when he was in high school, at the age of 14. He did his undergraduate schooling at Central Washington University, then went on to get his master’s degree at the University of Arizona.

When going into undergraduate school at CWU, Blair said he knew he needed to be marketable as an athletic trainer, so he got his teaching certificate as well, and did an internship with the Philadelphia Eagles professional football team. He is certified to train and educate at any level, whether it be professionally, at a college, at a high school, or at a clinic. Blair has previously worked at Wenatchee Valley Clinic and Wenatchee Valley College, and has been a Certified Athletic Trainer for 33 years.

“He’s a one-of-kind teacher. He really cares for his students, as well as the athletes. He’s always in the treatment center early in the morning and always the last one gone at night. You can tell he really enjoys what he is teaching and he really enjoys watching his students have success in his class and out on the field. He’s always there for whoever, and gets done what needs to be done,” junior and second-year sports medicine student Dalton Sugg said.

Blair shared that his goal for the future of WHS’s sports medicine program is to keep on doing what they have been doing, try to continue to provided quality care for athletes, and maintain a quality learning environment for the sports medicine students

“When I started this job [at WHS] I was an athletic trainer first, and an educator secondarily. Now I feel like I’m an educator first and secondarily an athletic trainer, even though I’ve spent a majority of my life preparing to be an athletic trainer,” Blair said.