Addison
In athletics, the most important factor will always be the health of the athletes participating. At the end of the day, sports are a showcase of physical ability - who’s most prepared, most disciplined, and who can keep their bodies performing for the long haul.
Talent is one thing, but if those with talent are mired by injury, it’s all for naught.
At Habersham Central High School, it’s Head Athletic Trainer Lundon Addison’s duty to keep Raider athletes performing their best. In her first three years in the role, she’s done just that - and her peers have taken notice.
“We are so lucky to have Lundon as part of the Habersham County system,” HCHS Athletic Director Geep Cunningham said. “She’s not only a great trainer, but a wonderful human being as well. She sincerely cares about everyone she comes in contact with and is more than willing to help out with any task where she might be needed.”
Addison’s love of athletic training began at a young age.
The Hall County native attended Flowery Branch High School, where, as a student, she was given hands-on experience working with the Falcons’ sports medicine team.
“I really poured into the football program in my four years there,” said Addison. “By the time I graduated high school, I kinda knew that I wanted to be an athletic trainer.”
She credits most of that interest to the influence of TJ Sellers - an AT with the Atlanta Rehabilitation group. Sellers worked with the team at Flowery Branch while Addison was a student at the school.
Upon high school graduation, Addison attended the University of North Georgia where she majored in athletic training, of course.
“College is typically one of those times where, you know, you discover a lot about yourself … you may go in thinking one thing and then decide on another,” she said. “But the one thing you could not have changed my mind on was becoming an athletic trainer.”
That determination served Addison well, and upon completing her degree, Lundon opted to pursue a master’s degree in kinesiology. She was able to fulfill the requirements online, meaning she could simultaneously pick up hands-on experience as a graduate assistant AT.
Addison’s first “real job” was at a small school in Texas, but she only spent about half a year in the Lone Star state before a position back home came calling. The opportunity consisted of joining the team at Young Harris College.
“I truly felt God call me to Young Harris,” Addison recalled. “I always knew I wanted to be a high school athletic trainer, so of course when I entered the college setting I was, like, ok what are we doing? But it ended up being the best blessing I never knew I needed.”
Yet after five years at Young Harris, unique circumstances would call Addison back to the high school level … this time in Northeast Georgia.
HCHS football coach Benji Harrison was an assistant at Flowery Branch when Lundon worked with the team as a student. That link was part of what opened the door for Addison in Habersham.
So, from Young Harris, Addison drove to Mt. Airy for what she thought were simple preliminary talks.
“I should’ve known better,” she joked. “I really came here thinking I was just having a conversation about what the move might look like. But it was definitely an interview.”
Raider family
Lundon and her husband Nicholas made the move to the area along with their two children, Aliza and River. The family has grown since their arrival.
In September 2023, they welcomed the birth of their daughter - Rainie. The little girl was born early, and the months following her arrival were some of the toughest the family has ever faced.
With Rainie in a Gwinnett-based NICU, Lundon and Nicholas would drop their two oldest off at school, then make the daily trek to be by their newborn’s side. For a while, this routine became daily.
Lundon says it was during this period that her family learned just how much the Raider community supports its own.
“Obviously you never want it to happen when disaster strikes, but during our emergency situation, I had never felt more connected and loved by a community,” said Addison. “The community, the coaches … and really just everyone across the board found a way to love on us. That was such a huge blessing to our family.”
Training staff in action
Addison walked The Northeast Georgian through the typical process when Raider athletes are impacted by injury. When a player goes down during a game, Addison and her staff of student assistants rush to the scene.
“I’m probably different than most athletic trainers,” she said. “Some people like to do full on-field evaluations, and some like to get them off the field as soon as possible. I’m somewhere in the middle.”
What ensues is a sort of check-list like routine.
“First and foremost, we have to decide what’s in the best interest of the student athlete. No matter what’s going on in the game, their safety comes first.
My goal is always to get them off to the sideline and that way we can do a more in-depth evaluation. From there we can figure out next steps.”
One of the most common issues players deal with is one that thankfully isn’t long term.
“We see a lot of cramping, and not just on our team,” Addison said. “A lot of times it’s the visiting team. We have to get the affected body part moving as fast as we can. That way we can get the cramp to release.”
Addison also explained how the students under her tutelage get involved.
“It’s kind of like a club,” she said of the HCHS sports medicine program. “Each spring we have a tryout process where they apply if they are interested in athletic training. We use spring football as a tryout.”
Once a part of the program, students see the ins and outs of sports medicine and what that world looks like. Students learn things like CPR training, wound care, taping techniques, and how to construct an emergency action plan. Their main focus, however, is hydration.
“I’m very proud of the program that we’ve made here,” Addison said. “It was an existing program, but I came into it with no background info, so I’ve just been trying to navigate that and help make it the best we can. These students take time out of their lives to be part of this program and be part of the football team, which is really special.”
Addison says she’s grateful for all of Habersham’s community physicians and physician assistants, many of whom work closely with HCHS, checking in and making sure the sports med team has every resource it needs to do its job properly.
Injuries are inevitable, but when the bug bites Raider athletes, the community can rest assured they are receiving top-notch attention.