Snocross – Amy Metiva

Sports Medicine Broadcast

Amy Metiva did not ride snocross, or even really know about the sport. She is a really good AT and busted it to be the best wherever she was working. Check out some of her story below.

Start us with a crazy/awesome story

Fargo, North Dakota and it’s negative 39 degrees. The propane tanks froze so the trailer stayed around 42 degrees the whole weekend.

Most race weekends we work 15 hour days.

We had to backboard in the snow…in the negative 40-degree snow. There were 2 sleds stuck together and a rider underneath the sled.

Knowing he needed advanced care quickly we carried him right to the ambulance.

Hunter was in an accident in a tight corner.

“We are basically waiting for a car accident to happen and then being ready to pounce.”

We had a racer get hit by a spindle and had an arterial bleed from the nose and he was not breathing when we got to him.

By divine intervention, he came back.

He was buried under the snow and we had to dig him out of the snow. Ended up breaking every bone in his face and had 97 stitches in his face.

He got to race about 3 weeks later.

Hunter, discuss your previous interactions with ATs

Hunter grew up playing football and had the high school AT.

He did not have much interaction with her.

Got hit with a spindle and tried to shake it off.

Once he could not move his arm he needed to go see medical.

Amy always seems to know when you are going to be hurting and ready to take action.

Racers are tougher than nails, so how have you softened them up?

Do not go up to the racers when they are focused and in the zone.

I communicate beforehand and set up some signals to know they are all good.

Build trust before they are injured

They come to know if I can get them back into the race safely I will.

If I can help them hit their goal and dream…that is the most amazing thing

Discuss your journey to becoming an AT.

Middle School athlete and was told she had swelling and could not play anymore. She went to an Athletic Trainer and he helped her rehab.

In 7th grade she went to a camp and found a book by Arnheim and started reading it on her own.

By high school, she was the self-proclaimed medical person.

Went through the internship program at Lake Superior State and was assigned tennis.

Her parents told her to be the best tennis AT there was even though she did not like tennis.

She then moved onto wrestling and loved being the only female AT. That led her to volunteer in lots of places.

She stopped the Harlem Globetrotters bus to speak with the AT.

This conversation changed Amy’s direction for her career.

A year later he called her and brought her to the court to meet the first female Harlem Globetrotter.

I have had a lot of jobs between now and then including a ten-year sabbatical to raise my two boys.

How did you get into snocross?

Someone randomly sent her an offer to help with snocross and she went for it…with no previous knowledge of the sport.

“After the first race I was hooked.”

Then I got the “call” to the major leagues.

She was grilled for 13 hours about how she would handle the job.

“God has a plan for me and he wanted me in that place at that time to care for those Snocross athletes.“

– Amy Metiva

Talk about the FXR Snocross medical trailer

It is an ER

It is a mobile medical clinic

We do a lot of taping since they can not fit a brace on with the clothes

Sutures, ultrasound, xrays but no medications

Everything in the trailer is free for everyone with a “hard card”

Family members and crew members as well

Expect the unexpected and be ready for anything

Obviously, it’s cold, what are your go-to “stay warm” items

Klim is a sponsor and provides great gear.

Hunter tries to wear almost the same thing each race day whether it is negative temps or just below freezing.

Amy does not change her routine either

Lots of FXR on the outside

3-4 layers of tights

FXR boots wearing 1-3 pairs of socks

Gloves with hand warmers

I know from 6-10 pm I am going to be on the track for the night show.

Discuss how you work with the EMS crews to coordinate care.

We use the Polaris rapid response that has treads and is equipped with basically everything we need.

If they need a higher level of care than we can provide then we do a hot transfer and get them to the ambulance.

I have to coordinate my movements with the track boss.

“Amy to 4” is her call to go back to the trailer for medical.

We have 3-4 people on track most times unless there is an injury.

They are allowed to call a red flag for a medical stop if needed.

How have you used supplies in random or odd ways in Snocross.

Amy uses a lot of RockTape, but it comes down to knowing your riders.

Riders get blisters on their throttle hands.

They love colored pre-wrap so it matches their uniform better.

Amy sometimes modifies braces for the snocross racers.

It is hard to get anything else underneath their uniform so we can not use a lot of braces.

Can ATs volunteer?

COVID had eliminated the volunteer options

It is cold

You are in the trenches

Just reach out with plenty of time as she has to get permission.

You have to be serious because you are standing in the line of fire.

Nutrition:

I love HOIST hydration for staying hydrated, but what do professional Snocross riders use?

Eat small – grapes, raspberries, lots of water

Avoids energy drinks, some coffee with collagen

Amy eats small meals and drinks Starbucks black ice tea

Soup and crackers are always great.

Almost everyone eats a bigger meal after the shows at night.

Watch Snocross with Amy Metiva on Facebook

Contact Us

Amy Metiva – email – [e-mail]

IG – AmyMetiva10

David – [e-mail]

Hunter – For the races: snocross.com click live stream

IG – @hunterpatenaude

Jeremy – IG – SportsMedicineBroadcast

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