University of North Carolina Athletics
Meet Trainer Scott Olario
November 18, 1999 | Football
Nov. 18, 1999
By Cameron Batten
Injury: a word powerful enough to make UNC pigskin prodigies crawl into their mothers' arms. If mothers aren't around, Tar Heel players are assured they have one other person they can turn to--assistant trainer Scott Oliaro.
A former football standout and a proponent of personal health, Oliaro is in his second year as an assistant athletic trainer with the University of North Carolina football team. The profession allows him to exercise his love for the sport and his passion for physical medicine.
Oliaro is no stranger to the game nor to UNC. He was a machine at running back for Cornell University from 1988-92. In a 1990 matchup with Yale, Oliaro had 395 all-purpose yards (running, passing and kick returns) along with four touchdowns, helping the Big Red win the game and eventually a share of the Ivy League title. He also served as team captain for two years.
In 1996, he obtained his masters degree in Exercise and Sport Science from UNC. Prior to joining the Tar Heels' staff, he was a trainer at American University in Washington, D.C.
Athletics has always been a staple in Oliaro's life, and he traces his love for sports medicine back to his days as a young athlete.
"I played several sports and I often got knocked around," he said. "As I grew up, however, I slowly developed a fascination with how the body can heal itself and what steps you can take to accelerate this process."
Oliaro knows there is an advantage to having an athletic background in sports medicine, and he employs this experience when dealing with athletes and their injuries.
"Players will tell me, 'Coach, you don't know the pain I'm going through,' and I look into their eyes and see that same look I had when I would get hurt," he said. "It helps knowing what you have to do to play again and what injuries you can push and which ones you can't."
Synonyms for the term trainer include teacher, coach, leader and mentor. Oliaro is all of them and more. He is first and foremost an advocate for injury prevention.
"If we can do or see something before, it can make a world of difference. Screenings provide us with opportunities to identify and solve potential problems."
He is a rehabilitator as well. He assesses orthopedic injuries and refers athletes to team physicians. A mastermind at rehabilitation planning, he tries to present injured players with new challenges and goals to keep them focused until the end of their recovery.
Oliaro knows that there is no such thing as a pristine football universe, a place where players are bounced, trounced, sacked and smacked, but walk away scar-free. Therefore, he tries to educate players and prepare them mentally for the possibility of the unthinkable.
"It is gratifying to work with athletes who are concerned about their physical health and who want to understand injuries, how the tissue heals and what they can do to expedite the recovery process."
In this multifold position, Oliaro serves as a psychotherapist as well. After missing a year of college play due to a hamstring injury, he understands the mental devastation that can occur.
"Being able to talk to them about what I did and what I had to do to get back on my feet makes it easier for me to connect with them during such a difficult time." Since psychotherapy is not a black and white science, Oliaro knows he has to customize his approach to handle each player's individual needs.
With a thriving academic and athletic environment, Oliaro says Carolina is the optimal place to enhance his understanding of sports medicine.
"It's a tremendous learning atmosphere, one in which I am able to learn from my professional peers while educating graduate and undergraduate trainers at the same time. The facilities are top notch, the environment is stimulating, and it is a pleasure to treat who I consider are some of the best and talented athletes in the country."
A unique connection Oliaro has with the Tar Heel football family is that with quarterbacks coach Jim Hofher. Hofher was head coach at Cornell during Oliaro's time there. Oliaro says the transition from a coach-player kinship to a professional relationship was easy because of their friendship.
"I feel he has a good sense of trust and belief in my abilities and he knows that I am going to make the best decisions," says Oliaro. "I think it stems from my days as a student of his."
Oliaro is deeply rooted in a love for the game and he says the most exciting part of his job is the opportunity it allows him to be around football again. Indeed, finding a football pick-up game in the park is as rare as an icy day in Florida.
"I thought I was done after my last game as a senior, and there was kind of an empty feeling not having football in my life for a couple of years. It's great to be involved with a team again and share the excitement that builds throughout a season."
He says he hopes the future will bestow upon him a head trainer position at a quality Division I-A school like Carolina. In the meantime, he will continue to learn under head trainer Dan Hooker, who Oliaro credits with being "one of the best in the country to learn from."
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