Athletics not all about the athlete

By Cristina Coca | gargoyle@flagler.edu

You may have noticed some of the new faces in the athletic department here at Flagler College over the past few weeks, many of them coaches. But there is one new face that is even more important to those new coaches, staff members, and most of all the student athletes here.

She doesn’t call the court or the field her home, her home is the Athletic Training Room. She is the newest Associate Athletic Trainer. Eva Beaulieu joins an already strong athletic training staff with Head Athletic Trainer Jennifer Rinnert and fellow Associate Athletic Trainer JJ Wetherington.

Beaulieu comes from Milledgeville, Georgia where she was a part of the Athletic Training staff at Georgia College and State University for over four years. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degree programs at GCSU as well. Georgia College Athletics is a member of the same conference that Flagler participates in, so she is well acquainted with the high competitiveness of the Peach Belt Conference.

Beaulieu is excited about the opportunity to work alongside Athletic Director Jud Damon again, as he was the Athletic Director for a year while she was at Georgia College.

When asked about the addition to her staff, Rinnert said, “Eva is an amazing athletic trainer, she’s awesome, that’s all that’s to it.”

Beaulieu has developed a great working relationship with Rinnert and can’t wait to see them grow as they work side by side now, rather than on opposite benches.

“Jennifer has been trying to get me to come to Flagler for a few years now,” said Beaulieu, “but I was resistant because, professionally, it was a lateral move. But after spending ten of the last twelve years in Milledgeville it was time for a change in scenery and what better place for that then Saint Augustine.”

Beaulieu is very excited about the transition and is excited about joining the very close-knit community that is Flagler College. Her main goal is to build a solid rapport with her athletes so they feel comfortable with her. She feels that if her athletes do not trust her, it impedes her from doing her job.

“My goal with every athlete is to get them back on the playing field as fast and as safe as possible,” said Beaulieu, “If I am not doing that, then I’m failing at my job.”