Carrie Hendrick has been named the new Head Athletic Trainer and Coordinator of Athletic Training for the Salem Spartans. Her appointment was formally approved by the Salem School Board this August, and she replaces Krista Milton.
"I am thrilled to be a member of the Salem Spartan family and it is an honor and a privilege to provide care for our student-athletes,” Hendrick said. “Being from Roanoke, I know Salem has a long-standing tradition of athletic and academic excellence and I am anxious to assist in making sure our students are as healthy as they can be both physically and mentally.”
After graduating from Patrick Henry High School, Hendrick earned her bachelor’s degree from Bluefield College. She then secured her masters credential from Virginia Tech in Education, Health, and Physical Education. During her time in Blacksburg, she served as a graduate assistant under highly respected athletic trainer Mike Goforth. Hendrick cared for athletes on the football team, as well as players associated with men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s soccer, cheerleading, and baseball. She also worked as an administrative assistant for the Virginia Tech athletics drug testing program.
“Mike Goforth is the reason I am so passionate about athletic training,” Hendrick said. “He taught me the importance of getting to know each individual and understanding the overall personality of each team. Once you have this knowledge you can effectively address the well-being, health and safety, development, and performance of the athletes.”
Hendrick has a wealth of work-related experiences in both the athletic and medical fields. She was the head athletic trainer at Averett, and she has served on training staffs at Lenoir Rhyne University, Carson Newman College, Asheville’s T.C. Roberson High School and with the Bluefield Orioles minor league baseball team. In addition, she has worked in a variety of medical sales positions and helped aspiring athletic trainers reach their career goals as an adjunct faculty member at Old Dominion University.
“I have had several key individuals take an interest in my career and help guide me over the years, so I feel like it is important to do the same and pay it forward for others who hope to pursue a career in athletic training,” she said.
Along with the academic degrees earned early in her career, Hendrick has a second master’s degree from Averett in business administration and a Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum, and Instruction degree from Virginia Tech.
Carrie Hendrick