Morgan starts the second semester with a fresh face, athletic trainer Yair Lazar. After the departure of our old athletic trainer, Elizabeth or Liz Saunders, Mr. Lazar joined the Morgan Family. Before officially becoming the full time athletic trainer, Mr. Lazar made several appearances at Morgan games, supporting and helping students during the brief absence of Liz. Mr. Lazar has already greatly impacted Morgan with his assistance to injured players and will continue doing that in his future at Morgan.
Mr. Lazar attended Alfred University in upstate New York where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2014. Prior to joining Morgan, Mr. Lazar said, “I became certified in 2015 and has been doing athletic training at various high schools for the last seven years or so and spent one year at a college.” Mr. Lazar is a part of a program at Yale University where he is placed at a school, and before helping out Morgan, he worked with Valley Regional High School in 2018 as their athletic trainer, and at Connecticut College. Now, he is ambitious to get to know Morgan as he said, “I am happy to be working here.”
Mr. Lazar fell into the athletics as a kid which grew his spark for wanting to be an athletic trainer. He explained, “I was very active as a kid and played sports growing up, which caused me to constantly become hurt as well and was always in and out of doctor’s offices.” These moments grew his love for athletic training, and he describes that he always wanted to continue being involved in athletics to a certain capacity. His athletic trainer at his own high school intrigued him and gave him inspiration to become the athletic trainer he is now.
Slowly Mr. Lazar is starting to grow a routine here at Morgan. Typically, he arrives at Morgan after school and starts his trainer duties. “Depending on games or practices will determine how late I will stay.” Practices normally start at around 2:30 and end at 6:30. Certain nights they could go to as late as 8:00. “I am here covering and making sure everyone’s doing good, and if there’s an athlete that I’ve been working with, they have the time to come in during their practice.” His responsibilities don’t just stop at practices, he explains “If it’s a game night then I’m out there courtside watching and rooting for the Huskies.” Mr. Lazar has taken on the many tasks of being the new trainer for Morgan. A few include wrapping ankles, providing ice, stretching out tight muscles, and supervising injuries.
As Mr. Lazar meets new faces at Morgan, he’s adjusting to the new ways. Beginning a new chapter is always difficult, but he takes a positive approach when entering this new position. Challenges arise when he has to meet new people and form new relationships with athletes and coaches. He explains how it’s always hard to enter the athletic scene without knowing the school’s individuals. Although, he has an open mindset to joining Morgan when he mentioned that,“Everyone’s been great… It’s definitely been a little easier getting to know this school.”
Morgan is excited to welcome Mr. Lazar as a husky, like the motto says we are Morgan we are family.