LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – For three decades, Susan Cabbage has been an unsung hero for Logan athletics.

The Certified Athletic Trainer is a Gundersen employee, but is contracted to help the Rangers with any injuries they sustain during games or practice.

Cabbage moved to La Crosse after college in order to be close to family in the Midwest and has stayed because she enjoys seeing the young athletes succeed long term.

“The kids that I deal with, you want to see them go through and graduate,” Cabbage said. “The coaches are amazing here and I enjoy working with them. I have worked with some of them for 30 years. There are some coaches that have been coaching longer than I’ve been the athletic trainer here.” A normal day for her involves taping ankles and advising students through their rehab process before evaluating the newest injuries. Over the years, she says her field of expertise has evolved as medical innovations occur.

“Even just taking care of injuries has changed,” Cabbage said. “Concussion care has completely changed from what we used to do. There have been a lot of improvements, a lot of changes and for the good.”

She added that the most common ailment she sees are ankle issues and that there has been an uptick in the number of knee problems over recent years. Three Rangers have torn their ACL in the last 12 months.

However, she remembers the most significant injury she’s ever seen a Logan athlete sustain.

“Twelve to 15 years ago, I had a young man with an open tib-fib fracture. Which means the bone was sticking through the skin,” Cabbage said. “His leg was up in the air. You could tell it was broken because his foot was off to the side and he was screaming. I went in there and I got my hands underneath the leg and I just held it. He quit screaming at that point.”

That athlete was a football player who got hurt after being tackled by his own teammate. He was transported away by ambulance and had a rod surgically inserted to repair his broken leg.

In Logan’s football game last Friday, a Reedsburg player broke his collarbone. Trainers like Susan were there to provide immediate medical attention.

Logan Activities Director Tony Servais says that having people like Cabbage around is a major boost for their sports teams.

“It’s critical having Susan and athletic trainers in your buildings,” Servais said. “There’s always injuries, nagging injuries that need to be rehabbed. Just having her in here, any athletic trainer for that matter, is so valuable to schools. I can’t imagine not having one. Having consistency with Susan here makes a world of difference.”

Joe La Mere, the Supervisor of Gundersen’s Athletic Training Outreach Program, has worked with Susan almost for all of her 30 years at Logan. They were hired by Gundersen just one week apart.

He says that many area schools receive help from athletic trainers and Cabbage’s case is extraordinary.

“Gundersen’s been partnering with schools since 1986,” La Mere said. “Currently, we have 28 schools in our organization, but to have somebody like Susan who’s been at a school for 30 years is pretty neat.”

The relationship Cabbage has with everyone involved is both professional and personal. She even served as the maid of honor at La Mere’s wedding.

Susan says it’s the people that motivate her to keep coming to work each and every day.

“I love Logan High School, hence I’m still here 30 years later,” Cabbage said. “This is a family here. They truly treat everyone here as part of the family.”

-Colton Emswiler

Multi-Media Journalist