Frenship ISD Head Athletic Trainer wins the Perry Weather 2024 Athletic Trainer Excellence Award

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - On Tuesday morning, Frenship ISD held a surprise celebration for Head Athletic Trainer Dustin Rush.

He was nominated and selected as the Perry Weather 2024 Athletic Trainer Excellence Award winner. Frenship ISD Athletic Director Bryan Gerlich tells us Rush has been vital on and off the field for the last15 years.

“The last several years he has really made a conscious effort to increase the student trainer piece and spending time with those kids getting them involved in competitions and we have several kids this year that have qualified at the state level,” Gerlich said.

More than 800 athletic trainers were nominated for the award across the nation.

“There are so many athletic trainers throughout the nation that work hard every day and to be able to be recognized for the work that we put in and represent them and who we are is a great honor,” Rush said.

Coaches, district administrators, and student athletic trainers were there to help with the surprise.

Rush told KCBD that working with athletes daily is a real honor. He says after suffering an injury during his sophomore year of high school, it was his athletic trainer who sparked his passion for the career.

“We are responsible for overseeing the overall physical and mental health of all of our athletes. You know people see us carrying around water bottles and see us tapping ankles on the sidelines and that is just the surface of what we do,” Rush said.

As part of the award, Dustin will also be given $2,000 to donate to his preferred sports medicine scholarship fund or charity.