NEW SHARON — John Colligan has cared for not just the athletes at North Mahaska but any student who was in need and had done it in six decades. He has served as North Mahaska’s athletic medicine staff since its inception in 1977. He is stepping away permanently from the position this month. Colligan will be honored Tuesday, Jan. 31 at halftime of the school’s girls’ basketball game with Montezuma.

Sports medicine has taken many turns when Colligan began the program. Then athletic director Roger Fread allowed Colligan to get the ball rolling. He came from the east coast of New Jersey and has remained in Mahaska County. On top of his duties as an industrial arts teacher and coach Colligan saw the need to meet the needs of athletes to prevent and treat injuries.

“In rural communities you have to take care of yourselves,” said Colligan. “Taking care of kids was always first and foremost.”

Colligan said he was never paid to do the job, but he meant monetarily. His reward was in the numbers of students who came through his program and went on to become a part of the health field. Some have gone into nursing, physical therapy and others to become athletic trainers.

Needless to say, changes have come to school programs through advocacy or legislation. Among those changes are trainers can no longer tape ankles and if the term “athletic trainer” is used, then they must be licensed.

Colligan said he was probably able to start the program with about $300 in supplies such as tape, gauze, various sprays and steel kits. In 2011the costs was between $2,500 and $3,000 with $1,800-$2,000 for sports.

“We were well stocked when we went to an event,” said Colligan. “We had backboards and we prepared kits for each coach and each sport.”

Along the way Colligan has earned accolades. Among those is the Distinguished Service Award from Kirk Ferentz at the Iowa Football Coaches Association meeting in 2009. The award is presented to individuals who show service, dedication and support to the football program, and athletic programs at their school. Then Warhawk football coach Steve Ehret nominated Colligan for the award. The speech given by Coach Ehret at the awards ceremony in part, is as follows:

“It is my honor to talk about my friend and peer, John Colligan. I have known John for 28 years. John has been in education for 35 years, 32 of them have been spent at North Mahaska. Over the years, John has coached a number of different sports at NM. He has coached Little League, been a member of the volunteer fire department, and EMT, but his first love is athletic training.

“NM has been very fortunate to have a man dedicated to the health of our students. He has one of the best student training programs around. NM’s health/training room is full of all the things we need to keep our athletes healthy. This was accomplished at a small school because of John. He is a scrounger. This is a positive trait. He is not afraid to ask someone for things that are needed.”

Ehret, who was the second athletic director Colligan worked under, was accurate labeling Colligan as a scrounger.

“This community steps up when I needed things,” said Colligan in a recent interview. “When we needed AEDs CERT and Jamie Robinson found grants, so we have AEDs on site.”

Automatic Electronic Defibulators have been thrust to the forefront recently when an NFL player suffered cardiac arrest and one was used to revive him.

“They are a great asset because it will tell you what to do and you do not have much time,” said Colligan. “You need one at every event whether its sports or something else.”

From 1977-2011 when Colligan initially retired he estimated more than 120 students had gone through the program. He said some stuck with it all through school while others decided it was not what they wanted to do. One of those he cited was Burdette Ogden, who went on to serve as director of public health in Mahaska County and continues in a number of roles in the medical field.

He credits the dedication of the students willing to take the time to train and perform the duties required at practices and games, and the health professionals in the area. In the 1990s, he created the Warhawk Cooperative Health Care Program, which connected with area physicians, dentists, physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors and athletic trainers.

Colligan coordinated efforts with these professionals to enhance the timeliness and the quality of care athletes received.

“I wanted our students to have what the big schools had,” said Colligan.

Among those professionals has been New Sharon chiropractor Benjamin Carlson; director of physical therapy at Pella Regional, Gene Schmidt; former coach, AD and athletic trainer at William Penn Leon Richardson; and many others.

Although the program has had to change with the times, Colligan is proud, as well he should be, of the opportunities the program provided to the students, school and community. No doubt he left the district better than when he arrived. His legacy of service is one of appreciation and determination. Thank you, John, always a Warhawk.

His love of taking care of young people is only surpassed by his love of his wife, Linda and his two children, Brad and Lisa and their families.