As an athletic trainer for the men and women’s basketball teams and the soccer team, Nick Alexander is a busy man.

Alexander has been at UNA for six years. He started out as a graduate assistant in the fall of 2008 and stayed with the job for two years until the athletic trainer position became available.

Whether it is a male athlete, a female athlete, a high-maintenance athlete or low-maintenance one, Alexander does a good job of adjusting his personality to them, said men’s basketball head coach Bobby Champagne.

“He’s got a good feel for the athletes, whether or not he needs to push them a little bit and say you’re not hurt that bad, or understands that they are hurt and that they need to back off of practice or games,” Champagne said.

After getting injured in high school and being around the athletic trainer, Alexander said that is when he decided to join the Athletic Training Program at the University of West Alabama.

“We had a really good athletic trainer at my high school and I thought the job was really cool,” Alexander said. “I really like being around the sports and the athletes all of the time.”

Working with so many different people, Alexander said one of the greatest skills and attributes you can have as an athletic trainer would be communication.

“Everyday you are talking to dozens of athletes, coaches, parents, administrators and referees. (There are) so many different types of people, you have to be able to relate with them and talk to them on a day-to-day basis,” Alexander said. “You must be able to make your point clear.”

As an athletic trainer, Alexander said he sees injuries repeatedly.

“There are injuries happening almost every day,” Alexander said. “Some are really minor, like bumps and bruises, and some are really severe, because there are so many athletes here that compete at a high level everyday.”

Alexander has also made a lasting impression on basketball player Bruce Adams because of his hard work and dedication to his job, Adams said.

“Nick is an awesome trainer, and I have not once seen him complain or give up, and I have been working with Nick since this year,” Adams said.