After being on the sidelines for thousands of games, athletic trainer Derrl Ohnheiser is wrapping his final ankles.
Ohnheiser, commonly known as “Doc” to students, athletics and faculty, is retiring this year after 30 years of service. He has been a trainer at Leander High School for 15 years, Dripping Springs for six years, Georgetown for one year, Westwood for four years and Rouse for five years. Ohnheiser initially went to college to become a coach, playing football in junior college before becoming a team manager. He says he was greatly influenced by his college coach.
“My coach was a great man,” Ohnheiser said. “He was like my second father. His advice was that as a coach you will have to move around a lot. There is a lot of pressure from winning and losing. As an athletic trainer if you do your job well and work hard you can stay anywhere as long as you want.”
Last Friday for Ohnheiser’s final home football game, athletic trainer Miranda Finkelstein, the student trainers and several athletes, teachers and staff surprised him with matching T-shirts. The black T-shirts professed their love for ‘Doc’ on the front and listed some impressive statistics on the back. “A million ankles taped, one thousand games covered, 50,000 treatments done, 30 years of service, 1 priceless athletic trainer. Thanks Doc Ohnheiser!”
“I was pleased with how the surprise went,” co-athletic trainer Miranda Finkelstein said. “Doc does so much behind the scene little things to make sure everyone else is taken care of. It was awesome to see others come forward and let him know he was appreciated and for him to see how many people he has affected. I know it made him feel like all the hard work meant something. I feel like he is pretty humble and it was great to see him get the light shined on him.”
Finkelstein has worked with Ohnheiser for the past three years. She says the experience has helped grow as an athletic trainer and a person.
“I have really enjoyed working with Doc,” Finkelstein said. “He is always trying to go the extra mile whether it is locking up the fields after games for the coaches, announcing line-ups, doing work orders, laundry, rosters – he does it all and without complaining.”
Ohnheiser teared up at the T-shirt surprise, hugging his wife and taking pictures with the student trainers and athletes. He has mixed feelings about retiring, but says he’s happy to have more time for his family and grandchildren. He has strong memories of his years on the sidelines of athletic events.
“I got to be on the court with my daughters when they played state in basketball and softball,” Ohnheiser said. “We went pretty deep in the playoffs. I got to watch my other daughter for volleyball. I am very fortunate with staffs I have worked with. [We’ve been] close knit and we’ve gotten along really well, the bonds and commadarie in all of those years. My oldest daughter tore her ACL. That was a time when I worked as a parent and an athletic trainer. I listened to the philosophy my father had. ‘Work hard and be the best you can be.’ ”
“As tough as he seems he is quite a practical joker,” co-athletic trainer Miranda Finkelstein said. “One time he came up behind me while I was working and slammed his clipboard down on the bed mat. I jumped. When a football kid comes in wearing his helmet, Doc says, ‘Why are you wearing a mask? Halloween is over.’ It makes him fun to work with.”
