AACC’s head athletic trainer accepted the title of Athletic Trainer of the Year from the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference in December.

Amber Stanley shared the award with athletic trainer Tim Happel of Howard Community College.

The award “feels like a nice reward for all the hard work that I do at AACC and [for] work every day,” Stanley added.

To determine who won the award, all athletic trainers of Maryland community colleges voted for the peer they deemed most worthy of the title.

This is the award’s first year.

Athletic trainers work with student players and coaches by tending to student injuries, administering treatment, and sharing health guidance to prevent or help them recover from injuries.

“Fortunately for the other athletic trainers in the state, it’s not my decision, [or] she would win all the time,” Athletic Director Duane Herr said. “She’s really good at athletic training [which] … is the lifeblood of an athletic department.”

Student athletes and coaches agreed Stanley rightfully earned the award.

“It’s obviously well deserved,” Men’s Lacrosse head coach Joe Stanilaus said. “She’s phenomenal at what she does.”

Baseball first baseman Lennie Lehner, a fourth-year health science student, agreed.

“She does a really good job of being personal with everybody,” Lehner said. “She’s really cool for an athletic trainer [and] she’s the best one that I’ve had.”

Women’s Lacrosse defense player Autumn Foster-Fields, a fourth-year sports management student, said Stanley deserves her award because of her attentive work with the students.

Stanley “make[s] sure that everyone has all their information in,” said Foster-Fields, who played basketball at AACC for two years. “And that takes a lot because there’s [many sports] … and [she gives] … everyone a list individually to tell them what they need to do … and [calls everyone to] make sure that they’re taking care of themselves in the correct way.”

Men’s Basketball head coach Joe Snowden agreed.

“She is such a good trainer for each student athlete,” Snowden said. “She personally makes sure that each student athlete gets the best from her [and] that’s why I like her. That’s why she deserves this award more than anything. … She steps up to the plate all the time.”