Her iPhone alarm sounds at 6 a.m., a blaring reminder for student athletic trainer Kayler Hatfield that it’s game day and she’ll be up for a solid 16 hours.

“It’s crazy,” Hatfield said. “But it’s so rewarding in the end. I don’t mind doing it because I love the atmosphere and I love the people I’m around.”

On the way to school, Hatfield’s mom stops by Starbucks and the sophomore sips on her seasonal favorite, a Pumpkin Spice Latte. After the pep rally, the trainers prep for the evening’s game, packing equipment and loading the truck.

“You learn a lot as you go,” Hatfield said. “I love having to learn things on the spot and taking care of the football boys and other athletes.”

First period transitions into second, where Hatfield worries about her Algebra II quiz. At lunch, she eats a Strawberry Uncrustable and talks to sophomores Michaela Stolle, Payton Little, Blu De Vanon and Lindsey Lambert about food, people, grades, Twitter  and the Leander game. After school, the trainers take a moment for themselves, snacking and chatting.

“I like taping and talking to the players and getting a feel for the game,” Hatfield said, as she eats a sandwich from Tropical Smoothie. “You can always tell how to act around them and how they think it’s going to go based on their mood.”

The mood in the training room is busy as athletic trainer Travis Moore shouts directions to student trainers. To calm herself, Hatfield listens to indie music and fixes her make-up.

“Everything stresses me out about Friday night,” Hatfield said. “Especially if we have a new freshman trainer that I have to help out and teach them the ropes.”

For the Pink Out game, Hatfield made all of the trainers’ pink hair bows to wear at the game to support breast cancer. She also adds her own pink touch to her shoes.

“My great grandmother taught me how to tie my shoes with bunny ears,” Hatfield said, as she laces her white Keds with a breast cancer ribbon. “I always looked up to her so I never learned how to do it any other way.”

Players file into the training room, asking for treatment and to be taped up. Junior Ryan Heinrich walks in and has Hatfield tape his arm.

“Do you want pink or white Powerflex?” Hatfield asks.

“Oh, man – pink for sure!” Heinrich replies.

As the ‘leader’ of the student trainers, Hatfield is in charge of unloading the truck. She makes sure the locker room is set up before the players get there and helps set up the coaches’ headsets. She’s determined to make sure the guys have everything they need.

“This is nothing,” freshman Alyssa Reynolds jokes. “You should see her in game mode. She becomes the Incredible Kayler Hulk.”

The game goes smoothly, without any injuries. Hatfield stands on the sidelines, near the 30-yard line, clutching a water bottle and watching the game intently. During a timeout in the third quarter, she heads onto the field to hand water to defense. Later in the fourth, she’s back on the field for another timeout and heads back to the sidelines, laughing with senior Will Stauber.

The trainers get back to school around 10:30 p.m. They unload the truck and clean all of the equipment, as well as help the players get ice and treat them. After that, Hatfield’s cousin surprises her by picking her up around midnight.  At home, they eat Ben and Jerry’s Cinnamon Swirl ice cream and she crawls into bed around 2 a.m.

“I loved [Friday]” Hatfield said. “I just get really excited about football. And the fact that it was Leander just made it even better.”