Trainer to Teacher to Both?

 By John Kim

As the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year arrived, so did Mr. Trevor Riffey and his wife. He is currently 26 and from Rancho Cucamonga, Southern California.

Previously working as a certified athletic trainer in a high school in Arizona and in physical therapy clinics, Mr. Riffey caught sight of Dalat and wanted “to do athletic training at a place that never had athletic training or sports medicine.” Mr. Riffey also wanted to try something new as he said, “I wanted to go into the teaching world.” Mr. Riffey teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology in high school and P.E. for Elementary classes.

With only a few weeks left of the second semester, Mr. Riffey, fortunately, adjusted comfortably to the new school culture. He says, “I like the Dalat community because people are inclusive. We were made to feel right at home as soon as we got here. And that was nice because it was my first time overseas. I also enjoy the support of the community.” Thanks to Dalat’s overall warm welcome, Mr. Riffey was able to transition smoothly into an unfamiliar land and culture.

Although Mr. Riffey already has jobs as an Anatomy and P.E. teacher, he plans for more in Dalat. As far as his plans go, he says, “I would like to start an athletic training / sports medicine program for Dalat Athletics which encompasses working after school and support student athletes with orthopedic injuries they have and be available to treat or rehabilitate if needed. I also want to build a sports medicine class at Dalat so that students involved in the class can help during athletic events for medical purposes.” A potential opportunity may arise for the Dalat community to learn how to treat injuries and help each other out.

“What would his favorite sport and team be?” you may ask. Here is your answer -- Mr. Riffey’s favorite sport is ice hockey and supports the Los Angeles Kings. In fact, Mr. Riffey was able to participate in competitive ice hockey games. He describes a proud moment in his ice hockey: “In 2013, I had the opportunity to play for the United States Junior Men’s World Roller Hockey team. We got the silver medal, losing to the Czech Republic.”

“What could his favorite animal possibly be?” you may wonder. Monkeys. Why monkeys? Well, Mr. Riffey reasons, “they are pretty cool and smart. They can do a lot of things. You can kind of communicate with them compared to other animals.”

As Mr. Riffey will work past his first contract and plans to see where God takes him, the Dalat community welcomes him and his passion for training and teaching.

Photo by Sean Park @ypic_moments