Maddie Tobler has come a considerable distance in her career for being just 25 years old. The Miami University graduate has worked in the athletic training field since high school, initially working with her alma mater Stevenson High School as a trainer starting her sophomore year. From there, Tobler pursued a career in the industry into college and grad school, not changing her major once as a student.
After college, Tobler found a position at the University of Dubuque, but would soon come to Northern Iowa after a year. In Cedar Falls, she worked with the football team before filling an interim role for a track and field staff vacancy in the spring of 2023. That role soon became permanent as the team and she quickly became a good fit.
“The environment of the team and the support I have from the coaches and (athletic trainer Boone Tomlinson)” is what Tobler said gets her out of bed in the morning. For Tobler, playing the role of an “older sister” to the team is what motivates her and makes her excited to come in, getting to share experiences of “tea” (gossip), and small academic and athletic success with the athletes.
But as a part of her role, Tobler also has to see the low points of her athletes, such as season-ending or injuries that seem to not go away.
“Seeing athletes (at their lows) and then watching them come back and win or at least be very competitive in their events is very, very cool for me, and makes me very excited”, Tobler stated. After all, if no athlete ever got injured there would be no role for trainers such as Tobler.
With her job, there are also some drawbacks, specifically on the administrative side of things.
“Athletic trainers are notoriously overworked and underpaid…burnout is a really big thing that can happen”, said Tobler. To go along with that, it is also the previously mentioned days where she has to receive bad news of an injury, which can sometimes happen all at once in what Tobler referred to as “pile-on days.” However, Tobler keeps in mind that the positives overcome the negative days, and keeps her motivated to do her job every day.
Maddie Tobler’s favorite memory as a member of the athletic training staff was not some big day of conference title victories, but instead a smaller tune-up meet this past spring in Wisconsin.
“The weather was super nice…we didn’t have a huge squad with us…everyone was so happy and in such a good mood”, said Tobler, “it was so relaxing and one of the first times I ever felt like a part of the team.” This feeling was similar to another experience Tobler cited when she initially told the coaches she was now the permanent trainer, to which the coaches responded with immense enthusiasm and joy.
With Maddie Tobler just beginning her Athletic Training career, who knows how far she will go in the future. As of now, she plans on staying at UNI but has aspirations of working with a professional sports team and getting her PA degree once she believes her AT days are over. In the meantime, she is looking forward to continuing work with the UNI Track and field team, a group that is more than fortunate to have her on board.
