Rachel D. Moore: Inspiring Students On and Off the Field

by Wendy L. Wheeler, Digital & Brand Marketing Strategist
(Continued from Bullis Magazine Fall-Winter 2020-2021 Issue)

Athletic Trainer and Upper School Instructor, Rachel D. Moore, M.Ed, LAT, ATC - "Miss Rachel" to her students, is featured in the Fall-Winter 2020-2021 issue of Bullis Magazine.

After Rachel Moore's interview, outpourings of support were received from Bullis alumni and parents — sharing their stories about how she played an integral part in their lives. Miss Rachel's dedication and commitment to being an educator and role model are conveyed best in the following testimonials.

Letters from the Bullis Community

As a student athlete at Bullis preparing to play division one basketball, I really appreciated Rachel and all that I have learned from her. Rachel was not only a great athletic trainer but awesome at educating and explaining what was going on, causes, and prevention. Playing multiple sports at Bullis, I definitely appreciated Rachel’s suggestions to listen to my body to learn when to push through or take a break. I took the many things I learned from Rachel with me to college when I played at the University of South Alabama. As an assistant basketball coach at Bullis now, I make sure my players understand the importance of listening to Rachel’s advice to prevent injuries and stay healthy. Very grateful for Rachel for everything she has done. Taylor Jenkins ‘12

I met Miss Rachel (probably 8th grade) and just through my own interactions with her through sports we began to form a close relationship. It was my sophomore year (2011/2012) that she really began to have the biggest influence on my career. She offered an intro to Sports Medicine elective and I was a part of her first class. It was this course that sparked my interest in medicine and human anatomy. I was so inspired by this course that I applied for and was approved to take an independent study with her for 2 trimesters during my senior year. This elective was entirely 1-on-1 between me and Miss Rachel. I went further in-depth with human anatomy and continued to learn about various sports-related injuries/treatments and prevention.

During the spring semester, I worked on a video project to be presented to the Headmaster and Parents Association that would supplement the concussion presentation that was presented yearly by Miss Rachel and Ms. Jen Frey. During this project, I came across the relatively new research into concussions and concussion related disease (i.e. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy -CTE) that was just beginning to take off at Boston University. I was already committed to BU at the time for lacrosse so it was a nice surprise to see how involved BU was in this field.

Needless to say, my experience in both Miss Rachel's Intro to Sports Med and Independent study was what ultimately lead me to declare Pre-med and pursuing my goal of becoming an Orthopedic surgeon. While at BU I did a summer internship at the Boston University Alzheimer’s and Disease Center where I worked with world-renowned researchers on CTE related projects (Dr. Ann McKee, Dr. Robert Stern, Dr. Cantu, Dr. Jesse Mez, Dr. Rhoda Au). Upon graduation from BU I worked at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston in a research lab where I was a member of a team that was working on humanizing an antibody for CTE (along with other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s etc.), we recently just got approved for one publication with a few more papers to be approved in the next year or so.

I recently just started a  Masters Program at Tufts School of Medicine where upon finishing I will be applying to Medical school. I would be remiss not to mention that still to this day I always cite Miss Rachel’s influence on me in all job and Medical school applications. She was the first person to not only introduce me to the field of sports medicine but she has supported and encouraged me the entire way. We still keep in touch regularly and I cannot thank her enough for the opportunity that she has provided me.

Joe Stucky ‘14

I was a member of several teams during my four years at Bullis but, primarily focused on football and track and field. I was lucky enough to work closely with Miss Rachel both on and off of the field during those four years. I had the opportunity to enroll in two of her classes: one specifying in sports medicine during my sophomore year and then an anatomy and physiology class my senior year. In regards to the classroom, she always knew how to keep all of us interested and focused on the task at hand. She could relate to the students on another level, making our classes feel more like a friendly gathering than a class. I believe this came from the chemistry she built with so many of the students who would pass through the athletic training room. For me and many of my peers, the athletic training room was not only seen as a place in which we could prepare athletically but also somewhere we could let loose and go for more than just a pack of ice. Miss Rachel was always there for help with nutritional information, sports talk, or when we were down; personal advice. I remember my senior year I tore a ligament in my foot after my third game and was unable to finish my last season of football and I noticeably had a change of behavior. It didn’t take more than one class for Miss Rachel to know what was going on. She sat me down and not only helped me find peace but also look forward to the future. Miss Rachel is an amazing athletic trainer and I am always proud to see her and the rest of the athletic training staff receive the accolades that they deserve. I also believe she is an even better educator and mentor and strongly believe that I would not be the man I am today without her help. Andres Lopez ‘17

Miss Rachel proved to me early in my time at Bullis that she was dedicated to both her job as an Athletic Trainer and a teacher.  As an athlete, I was always that kid that insisted on playing through injuries, refusing to get looked at, etc., but Miss Rachel almost never let that fly. She made it clear that her tough love was nothing short of her way of showing us that she cared about us beyond the sports we played. It was a similar situation in the classroom, as Miss Rachel accommodated the needs of every student to make her classes truly feel welcoming and inclusive. Beyond that, Mrs. Moore and I have maintained a great relationship despite my graduating from Bullis three years ago. I truly believe that Mrs. Moore is one of, if not the best at what she does, not only because of her experience and expertise but also in large part due to the simple fact that she cares for and loves all of the students that she interacts with on a daily basis. Damani Neal ‘17

I can’t say enough great things about Rachel Moore. She was an integral and important part of both my boys everyday experiences from 6-12th grades. She was their teacher and athletic trainer. However, she was more than just those titles that she holds. Both boys were challenged academically by her. She taught them how to think outside the box and to problem solve. Most importantly, she truly cared about them as young men and academic learners.

On the athletic side of things, she was the first person they went to if anything felt “off”, and many times she would tell THEM if she noticed something not looking right…a limp, a grimace of pain…even if they didn’t want to admit it or tell her. She didn’t let them get away with anything that might put their health in jeopardy. She always emphasized that their individual mental and physical health was far more important than playing injured or trying to break records while injured.

My children felt safe telling her things, learned a great deal from her both in and out of class, and came away from their Bullis experience with an incredible amount of respect and love for Rachel. The students and athletes who have access to her now are the lucky ones.

Lis Petkevich, past Bullis parent

Fun Facts about Miss Rachel

• Miss Rachel decided where she was going to college by literally closing her eyes and pointing to a map. The city she landed on was New Mexico where she graduated with her B.S. in Athletic Training Education from New Mexico State University. From there she received her Masters of Education From Concordia University in Portland.
• Although Miss Rachel went to high school with her husband, Christopher, in Maryland; they were not necessarily friends. Fourteen years ago, during a visit home for the holidays, she ran into her former classmate. They exchanged numbers and have been together ever since.
• Since her interview, Miss Rachel has added to her resume - Advisor to the Bullis Health Club.
• Community involvement plays an important role. She is active in several athletic training associations and initiatives.
  • National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) - member for 20 years.
  • Maryland Athletic Trainers Association (MATA); serves as the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee Chair; and is part of the Mid-Atlantic section.
  • National Athletic Training Board of Certification (BOC).
  • Serves as a board member for the Baltimore Area Sports Health Initiative (BASH).
• How does she do it all? "It’s all about finding balance," said Moore. "Having a supportive husband and the Bullis Athletic department is the most wonderful, supportive team."