There are two new faces in the training room and on the field: Essentia Health athletic trainers Brandee Dittbrender and Tanner Sterling. Last year, Trainer Mike Gogolin announced that he would not be returning.

Sterling has always known he wanted to work in healthcare and had a sports background playing hockey for the Spartans. 

“Being a Spartan myself, it was a dream come true when I found out that I would be the athletic trainer for my former high school,” Sterling said.

Dittbrender also has a sports background participating in cross country, track and field, and basketball for the Northwestern Tigers. Both Sterling and Dittbrender share the passion for helping others in the form of healthcare, so they love the mix of sports and healthcare that training offers.

“I knew I wanted to go into healthcare and I loved the idea of being able to practice healthcare in an athletic setting,” Dittbrender said.

The tag team duo are already in action for the fall sports season.

“I like that the trainers focus on getting you back on the field as soon as possible and that they treat you like an individual rather than a member of a team,” Senior Linebacker Jack Rivord says.

The new team is ready to tackle injuries and continue to protect athletes from restrictions and keep them playing.