For Baker, there is also another role he must fulfill: "it is important to become a social part of the team," he says.

To that end, he tries to always be there for athletes. He encourages them to discuss their problems with him, whether they concern school work, family or their team.

"The trainer is supposed to be a buffer between the student and the coach," Baker says.

That factors in, Baker says, when a coach unduly pressures an injured athlete into playing. Athletic trainers, in consultation with doctors, have the final say, making it easier on the student.

"Making decisions about injuries takes pressure off the athlete," Baker says.

Not know for his silence--or, for that matter, brevity--the energetic Baker views Harvard with characteristic enthusiasm.

He says that the school gives athletes the education they need for a secure future. They are students first, but they still have the opportunity to excel in sports, he says.

"Harvard approaches athletics the way it should be," he says.