By Victoria Walker
Staff Writer

With a wide variety of highly competitive sports teams competing home and away for Westford Academy, and a student body of over 1600, there is rarely an afternoon when trainer Bill Bombacci does not have a line of students outside his office. Bombacci’s services are available to all of the students, students athletes and staff at the school, as they have been since he began working WA eighteen years ago. While most of his work takes place after the 1:55 bell, he usually arrives at the school between eleven and twelve o’clock in order to be available to any student who has a free period.

“That way they don’t have to deal with the after school rush,” said Bombacci. “It kind of lightens things up and makes things a little easier after school.”

During this time, Bombaci does everything from helping athletes with practice preparations- including stretching, warm-ups and taping- to evaluating injuries in order to to asses their seriousness. Certain teams are present in his office more than others, but Bombaci is always there in the afternoon, ready for anything that comes his way.

So where did this dedication to sports medicine come from? Bombaci played a number of sports growing up, including soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis and he ran track. He has always been very interested in health and fitness, and discovered his desire to become a trainer in college when he experienced the profession first-hand. Although lacrosse was not available at Bombaci’s high school, he picked it up in college. While playing, he suffered an injury and was referred to the trainer at his school where he learned more about the job.

“That kind of sparked my interest a little bit more,” said Bombaci.

Before coming to Westford, Bombaci worked as a trainer in a physical therapy clinic. When he started working at WA, he split his time between the two jobs, but after a few years of he was hired by Westford Public Schools and was able to focus on the one job. He has worked in other high schools and physical therapy clinics, as well as colleges and as a trainer for a professional basketball team.

“I knew when I went to college that I wasn’t going to do a typical nine-to-five, sit behind a desk kind of job, and this is actually a perfect kind of thing for someone who knows that going in because really, everywhere you get something different, whether it’s going out to a practice, covering a game, doing rehab with kids in here. So things are always changing. You’re not always doing the same things day after day after day.”

While this flexible schedule is part of what drew Bombaci to his job, the changing hours can also be one of the difficulties. The father of two boys, one of whom is a high school athlete at a different school, Bombaci is often unable to make their games since he is helping out WA athletes.

“A lot of people don’t realize that I end up working on weekends, school vacations, holidays and things like that, so it’s not your typical nine-to-five job,” said Bombaci.

He does say that everyone has been very supportive, helping him balance helping his own teenagers and helping all the ones who rely on him here at Westford Academy. When he has the chance, Bombaci likes to catch a movie, cycle, play golf or work around the house, and enjoy time with family and friends.

Bombaci says that in one way or another, he definitely plans to always work in the health and wellness field, which is what he really enjoys.