By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

Jenny Wildeman likes sports.

She likes medicine, too.

So, being an athletic trainer for Hays High School is a perfect marriage.

"I knew I wanted to get into the medical field" in high school, Wildeman said. "Athletic field fit best.

"Sports has always been part of my life," she added.

After graduating high school in Benkelman, Neb., in 1997, Wildeman was a 5-foot-9 shooting guard at Dodge City Community College before transferring to Washburn University to get her undergraduate degree. She then completed her master's degree in exercise science and sports administration at Fort Hays State University in 2004.

Wildeman worked for a year in Great Bend, then came back to Hays, where she started working for Hays High on a contract basis in 2005.

In the morning, Wildeman works in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic for Hays Medical Center, then in the afternoon she heads over to Hays High to work with the athletes.

"I like working with the kids," said Wildeman, who puts her training to good use at HHS.

"We see a ton of everything," Wildeman said. "Varies from the sport. All kinds of different stuff."

Wildeman has a student assistant from Fort Hays, but that merely slows down her heavy workload.

Wildeman goes to every Hays High varsity football game, home and away, and attends every home HHS athletic event in every sport, from freshman football games to junior varsity volleyball matches to varsity basketball contests.

"It's always very busy," Wildeman said. "Work is pretty full with games."

Married five years, Wildeman sometimes just has time to say hi and bye to her husband, Jordan, who also has a busy schedule as a supervisor for Eagle Communications.

"He's pretty busy with his work, too," Wildeman said.

For Friday's home football game against rival Great Bend, Wildeman arrived at Lewis Field Stadium the same time the players did, at 5 p.m.

"Get pregame treatments -- tape, heat, stretch," she said.

Then, she's on the sideline during the game, treating players. After the game, she provides more treatment as needed at the school. Her work day finally ends at about 11 p.m.

"Kind of busy," Friday, Wildeman said. "Kind of banged up at the end.

"They wanted to play -- it was Great Bend," she added.

But Wildeman makes sure the players -- in every sport -- are ready before allowing them to resume practice and competition.

She consults with the team doctor about medical clearance. If it's an injury requiring a visit to a doctor, the physician gives the go-ahead. If it's a minor sprain, for instance, Wildeman makes the call.

Concussions are among the trickiest injuries to treat, Wildeman said.

"We have a protocol to follow to return to play," Wildeman said, adding a player must complete each step during a seven-day period. If a player doesn't pass one of those steps, it's back to the starting point again.

"That's one of the hardest" injuries, Wildeman said, because recovery time "varies from kid to kid."

"She does a good job," Hays High Athletic Director Clint Albers said. "She doesn't try to rush kids back, does a good job consulting with doctors."

Wildeman also is on top of the H1N1 flu virus, consulting with administration officials and trying to keep the treatment room as bug-free as possible.

"We wipe stuff," she said. "We wipe down after every athlete comes through, (and) washing hands."

She jokes whoever is selling hand sanitizer is making big bucks.

But that matters not to Wildeman.

For her, being an athletic trainer is priceless.