SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Bumps and bruises are her specialty but Kelly Ketcham brings much more to the St. Francis High School community.

Ketcham was named the Assistant AD for Sports Medicine for the St. Francis Athletics Department staff recently after working with the Troubadour student-athletes and teams as the school’s athletic trainer for the last four years. The title was effective in November 2013.

“It is nice to have an athletic trainer on staff,” said Basketball Head Coach Vic Pitton. “But to have Kelly is a godsend. She is not only a very skilled athletic trainer, someone I have complete faith in and trust in, but the relationships she builds with the young ladies of St. Francis is filled with the Holy Spirit. She is the epitome of what we want these young girls to be like.”

She is the first full-time certified athletic trainer in school history, will be a part of the athletic leadership team and will also have some administrative responsibilities.

“I am really excited,” said Ketcham. “It is going to be good to be with the girls during the day and help more on campus. It is great to be involved with the whole St. Francis community.”

Ketcham brings a strong background that will be a daily resource to the Troubadour student-athletes.

“It is about having access,” said Ketcham about her daily impact. “They will be able to do rehab during the day if they have a free block or ask questions about topics like their nutrition.”

During her time on staff, Ketcham has provided injury prevention and rehabilitative and first response care for almost 500 student-athletes on the 26 St. Francis teams.

“Being able to have a full-time athletic trainer, we are given a lot of protection for our bodies,” said senior basketball player Sarah England. “We are taped daily and she takes really good care of us. If anything happens at the games, she is here for us. She teaches us a lot.”

She has developed stretching, ACL prevention, nutrition and concussion awareness programs for the athletic programs during her tenure.
“We are absolutely thrilled to bring in Kelly,” said Athletic Director Mark McGreevy. “She is the consummate professional. She is a very knowledge-based professional who is a strong role model for what you do with your education and character development.  She is the type of person we want around our students.”

Ketcham worked for the Los Rios Community College District from November 2008 until 2010, providing athletic training coverage for a variety of sports on all four district campuses, including the past four at Folsom Lake College, providing coverage for the men’s and women’s golf, tennis and women’s soccer teams from January 2010 through November of 2013.

The Shingle Springs resident worked with the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs during the 2009 season, assisting the head athletic trainer with all aspects of coverage. She also developed the curriculum, testing and materials for three courses as an instructor with ROP Sports Medicine Careers and served as the athletic trainer at Placer High School from 2006-08.

Ketcham received a master’s in education in athletic training from Temple University after earning her bachelor of science in kinesiology/athletic training at Sacramento State.