Gescuk says that when he was unable to go in for treatment in the afternoon, "the trainers were willing to come in early on Saturday mornings; they're really dedicated to their players."

Hockey player John C. Weisbrod '91 had a similar experience during rehabilitation. "Emo'd drive all the way over late at night, with his little daughter and a box of doughnuts," Weisbrod says.

Although players praise the trainers for their attentiveness and expertise, some athletes and trainers point out limitations of the training room.

Trainers say they are often unable to go out to team practices because they have such a large backlog of taping to do. As a result, Smith says she wishes "more grad students interested in being trainers helped us out with daily taping and routine treatments."

Athletes say they have trouble getting access to the training room's modern equipment. "Sometimes I have to wait because other athletes are on the CYBEX," Gescuk says. And Smith, who is the trainer for the track teams this season, says "If there's anything I would complain about, we need more equipment for the number of athletes we have."

Athletes also complain that it is difficult to get an appointment with a physician. In the fall, Boland comes to the training room every day, but in the spring he only sees athletes on Wednesdays. Smith says this is because the fall sports produce more injuries. "Contact sports have to take more attention," she says. "That's where the liabilities demand us to be."

Each year between 1980 and 1985, varsity and freshman football accounted for 175 "time loss" injuries, which force a player to miss a day of practice, while men's lacrosse, the most accident prone spring sport, averaged only 39 a year Coughlin says.

Whatever the numbers, the policy frustrates some athletes. One athlete, who asked not to be identified, says "I was supposed to see Dr. Boland this spring to get final clearance, but I never did because the line was quite long. It sometimes takes two or three hours."

The problem is particularly acute for students on the rugby teams. Although rugby's spring season produces a high number of injuries, the team is not officially recognized by the Athletic Department, so injuries to rugby players are not included in the department's planning. "Sometimes our players won't get in as quickly or get as much attention as they want," says rugby player Vaughn J. Buffalo '89.

Although the training room is primarily a place for medical attention, some athletes say they go there for other reasons. "It's the social center of the team," says women's soccer player Tenley E. Stephenson '91. "In the fall, it's a total pick-up scene."