An Interview With Toni Read - Nottm Caesars Sports Therapist

There’s a production line of talented individuals coursing through the veins of Nottinghamshire, both on, and off, the sporting field.

One such individual is that of former Gedling Town goalkeeper turned American Football and Rugby Sports Therapist, Toni Read, and she has the experience to back it all up.

Graduating from Teesside University, in 2012, with a first-class honours degree in Sports Therapy, the now 30-year-old keeps herself busy, so much that she is also on the committee of the Women’s Regional Football League, dealing with near forty clubs.

It is her ongoing passion for Sports Therapy which makes her tick, working with both the Nottingham Caesars American Football, and Mellish Rugby clubs, she now having more of an interest in American Football that she does of English Soccer – although being a New Orleans Saints fan, well that’s for the NFL lovers out there.

“When I began working at Capital One, one of my colleagues there, he played American Football,” began Toni.

“And, because of my degree, I was continually looking for experience and keeping up with my autonomous learning, and that’s how I ended up with the Caesars.

“I’ve been there what, four seasons now, and, if we’ve a home game, then I’m there from morning through until the evening; I’ve always made myself available and had to adapt my methods when dealing with injuries, that’s the main difficulty here.

“But I love it, and it’s pretty much converted me, and that social aspect of the game, especially on Super Bowl Sunday.”

There was a similar scenario during her arrival at Mellish Rugby, a family friend putting her in contact with them.

Her arrival there put Toni back in contact with a football contact, Tracey Chubb, a stalwart of women’s football, the pair knowing each from Toni’s time at Gedling Town.

“I was nervous when I started out, but I just deal with everything in the same manner,” admits Toni.

“They’re just patients/athletes at the end of the day, but I do find myself more comfortable when I’m in the working environment,

“There’s equal respect, for both men, and women, and I love what I do.

“It’s not a job for me, it’s a calling.”

That ‘calling’ has seen Toni travel to both France, and to South Africa, the latter with a charity aimed at taking children off the streets, and from crime, and getting them into sports – it’s something in which she’d both love to, and be honoured to, do all over again.

“It’s thoroughly enjoyable being in a team environment, more working with the same group of people,” continued Toni.

“In a clinical environment that’s different, here, there’s a greater dynamic, and I’ve got differing sports and differing injuries in which to deal with.”

The recent, International Women’s Day, and the ongoing, increasing issues around that of racism, sexism etc, within the work of sport, and beyond, being again brought to the fore, is a constant talking point.

With numerous options, avenues, in which to take, Toni opened up with her thoughts, adding that: “In the media, women still aren’t celebrated enough.

“Something like the recent Super Bowl say, had its first, female official this year; that was both great to see, and rightly celebrated.

“Change though is down to one’s mind-set, and teaching, bringing thing more up-to-date, which will help massively, but the ongoing pandemic, that won’t help women, race, youth sports – we need to get things going, and we also need to start playing again.”