After former athletic trainer Caitlin Steiding left the school in late January for a new position at Golden State Orthopedics and Spine (GSO), the school spent over two months searching for a replacement. Finally, the school found a certified strength and conditioning coach Kevin Attard, who started working as the new athletic trainer on April 14.
The school initially worked with GSO to hire an athletic trainer but could not find a qualified candidate despite job postings on Indeed and GSO’s website. Attard was contracted through Go4, a platform designed to connect athletic trainers with schools and organizations. He is signed on to work through the ’25-’26 school year.
Attard previously worked as an assistant athletic trainer at Junipero Serra High, an all-boys private school in San Mateo. He said that Junipero Serra High holds far fewer sports teams than SHS, so his new position will bring change “as far as functionality and availability.”
“It was great working [at Junipero Serra] with that person, but now I get to run the show a little bit and do things how I envision and hopefully continue to build up the school’s athletic program,” Attard said. “From what I’ve heard already, the school’s already been in my great hands before, so I’m just continuing to build that but in my vision and my profile.”
Attard grew up playing soccer, baseball and basketball before focusing on basketball in high school. Frequently getting injured and working with his athletic trainer led him to an interest in the field of athletic training; he later pursued an undergraduate degree in human physiology at the University of Oregon and a masters in athletic training from Pacific University.
While pursuing his masters, Attard pursued clinical rotations, working with high schools, colleges and semi-professional teams as a student under a certified athletic trainer. His biggest stint was with the University of Portland’s Division 1 athletic program.
A certified strength and conditioning coach, Attard said he hopes to implement strength and conditioning concepts into rehabilitation and training for students in the next few years, as he sees himself working here long-term.
“I have to see what the budget looks like, but starting to build up what athletic equipment we have and the overall aesthetics of the [athletic training] room [is my goal]. I think having a super nice and upgraded room does a lot for the athletes,” Attard said.
