Athletic Trainer (AT) and sports medicine teacher, Jimmy Morin, recently announced that he is leaving MSHS and taking a job at The Vanguard School next year.
Many things played a factor in his decision making process, but the ultimate one was being able to work with his wife. “One of the reasons I will be going there is because my wife works there, so getting to be with her is important on a personal level,” Morin said. “We will also have the same schedule so that will be good for our kids.”
Another factor that played into the decision was Morin being able to reach his full potential as an AT. “On a professional level, I will be doing less teaching, which allows me to be an AT more, and here at Manitou, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to reach my full potential,” Morin said. “I had so much more to give, but I couldn’t because I was a part time trainer.”
The final part of Morin’s decision to leave is because he believes he aligns better with Vanguard’s culture and that he will be able to develop and reach his goals sooner. “The third thing is that for the expectations I have for myself and my goals, who I am, my values and beliefs align a little bit more with Vanguard on an academic and athletic level.”
Even though Morin is leaving, he valued his time at MSHS because of the new experiences the school provided him. “I loved driving to work every day, and the fact that the school is embedded into a mountain. I’ve never been a part of anything like that, and I love the views,” Morin said. “It’s also my first time within a small school. I’m used to 2500 plus athletes at a high school or even 150 football players at a college level. Here we have a total of 150 athletes, so it was a different experience and it helped me grow.”
Senior Ben Perkins highlighted how helpful Jimmy was in the rehab of an injury his sophomore year. “The first year that Jimmy got here I tore my labrum in my hip, and Jimmy was a big part in helping me get back to my sport and allowing me to stay in the athletic training room after hours to be able to do some of my rehab,” Perkins said. “He was able to get me back from what was supposed to be a six month time in three months so that way I could play baseball.”
Sophomore Ayden Polizzi also talked about how the classroom environment provided by Morin was helpful for his learning. “Jimmy says a bunch of jokes and stuff and it’s funny and he’s really joking with his students, which makes it a better learning environment,” he said.
One thing that Morin will miss are the football games, since Vanguard does not offer the sport. “I love Friday Night Lights, it’s been a part of my whole life,” Morin said. “I was amped up for every game, you know it’s fun and I’m really gonna miss it.”
With uncertainty on the budget and being able to rehire Morin’s position, head Basketball coach and former AT Nick Nunley, believes not having an Athletic Trainer could negatively impact athletics. “Jimmy leaving affects the athletics department overall because he was an incredibly vital person for all of our sports. ATs provide an important service that helps our athletes and they continue to keep our athletics competitive and our players on the playing field/court,” he said.
Perkins believes Manitou Springs High School will miss Morin. “We’re gonna miss his personality and his ability to always make people laugh,” Perkins said. “That’s something that you’ll never forget.”
