The Central Kitsap High School Sports Medicine team lead by the athletic trainer Ken Ahlstrom is associated with almost every sport and activity here at CKHS. For the 2019-2020 school year, the sports medicine budget has come up in conversation recently. 

Every year, Ken Ahlstrom, the Central Kitsap’s athletic trainer and sports medicine teacher trains a new Beginning Sports Medicine class. One of the first assignments in this class is an activity where students are given a budget and a list of items and supplies they have to buy. Students have to stay under budget, but also be sure to buy enough for the year. 

The purpose of this assignment is to have the students of the class understand what Ahlstrom has to do each year.

Though he meets the budget yearly, Ahlstrom simply said that completing the budget was  “Not very difficult.” However, Ahlstrom does wish that the total budget would increase because “Everybody wants more money.” 

Students at CKHS play a big role in Sports Medicine as well. Juniors Olivia Foss and Gwyn Dehan both participate in Sports Medicine after school to help Ahlstrom with caring for injured athletes. Doing this, students can add up how many hours they have participated and gain extra credit. 

Some students go much more often than others, Foss said, “I go about three times a week, about two hours each day, so it’s about six hours a per week.”

Dehan said, “I do about twice a week, so it’s about four hours, give or take. Sometimes it’s three.” 

With a limited budget for supplies, there is always a chance of running low or even running out of supplies. According to Ahlstrom, this is not a huge issue because “I am very good with my money.” 

According to the students, there are never really issues with a lack of supplies. Foss, who participates in the after school curricular said, “Normally they [Ahlstrom] have everything. Like we fill up our ice bags. I feel as if we could have a little bit more maybe because when I filled up tapes into the cabinet I noticed we were low.” 

Dehan, however, held a different view, “I don’t think that has ever been an issue with me.”

Ahlstrom and the students of Sports Medicine come to an overall agreement that the funding for the extracurricular is adequate enough to supports all athletes, however, everyone wishes there was more money for extra supplies.