Athletic Training & Sports Medicine

Athletic training services provided to Owyhee High School student athletes include injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergency care, clinical evaluation and diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic Trainers are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who provide these services under the direction and in collaboration with their team physician. The sports medicine team consists of the athletic trainer, the team physician, the physical therapist, and other health care providers who assist in keeping the student athletes safe and injury-free.

Meet our Staff

Headshot of head athletic trainer Taylor Clark

Taylor Clark, MAL, LAT, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer

Taylor is the Head Athletic Trainer at Owyhee High School. 2024-2025 marks her 12th year as a Certified & Licensed Athletic Trainer, as well as 10th year as a teacher/concurrent credit instructor. She teaches Sports Medicine II and III for concurrent credit through Boise State and also serves as a preceptor for their Master of Athletic Training program students. Within her building, Taylor leads her students as a HOSA Advisor and was recently named Idaho's Outstanding HOSA Leader of the Year for 2024. Currently, she serves as the Representative for Rehabilitation Services and Public Safety on the West Ada Advisory Council and is a member of Owyhee's AVID Site Team. Under her leadership, Owyhee was recently awarded the Safe Sports School designation by the National Athletic Trainers' Association for 2024-2027.

 Originally from Southern California, Taylor grew up dancing and taught dance classes throughout college. She went to Chapman University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training with a minor in Integrated Educational Studies. She spent her college summers traveling around the Pacific Northwest as a UCA Instructor, and eventually as an athletic trainer for Varsity Event Administration. She continued her education at Boise State where she served as the athletic trainer for Volleyball, Sand Volleyball and Men's Tennis while earning her Master of Kinesiology in Athletic Leadership. From there, Taylor began her high school teaching career at Mountain View and was there for 6 years before moving to Owyhee when it opened. Her husband, Pete, now teaches Business/Marketing classes at Owyhee too. Together, they have a son (4), daughter (2) and golden retriever (6). When the Clark Family isn't at Owyhee, you can find them exploring all the splash pads and trampoline parks throughout the Treasure Valley. 

Contact information: clark.taylor@westada.org

Headshot of athletic trainer Nicole Baker

Nicole Baker, MAT, LAT, ATC

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Nicole is the Assistant Athletic Trainer at Owyhee High School and Meridian High School. Nicole is employed by Saint Alphonsus Outreach and when she not working at one of the high schools, she is out in the community providing medical care in various settings including youth football, youth soccer, rodeos and other events in the treasure valley. This is Nicole’s first year as a Licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer. Nicole studied at Boise State University where she graduated early and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology graduating Summa Cum Laude. She then went on to study Athletic Training in the Boise State Master’s program where she gained valuable experience as an Athletic Trainer. In her free time Nicole enjoys reading, spending time with loved ones and traveling.

Contact Information: baker.nicole@westada.org

Headshot of athletic trainer Rachel Manis

Rachel Manis, LAT, ATC

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Rachel is an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Owyhee High School and teaches Health Professions and Sports Medicine III. 2024-2025 is her 2nd year teaching at Owyhee and 1st year back in the Athletic Training room (after being at home with her little girls). She is an advisor for the HOSA club (Future Health Professionals) and the Concessions Manager for the high school.

Rachel studied Athletic Training at the University of Utah and was the head Athletic Trainer for 5 years at Hunter High School in the Salt Lake City area before moving to Idaho with her family 2 years ago. She grew up playing sports and has always had a passion for helping people, so Athletic Training was her perfect pathway. She served an LDS mission to New Zealand, was Athletic Training Student of the Year, and the graduation speaker for the College of Health in 2017. Rachel has been married to Keith Manis for 7 years. They have a 4-year-old daughter, Kennedy; and 2-year-old daughter, McKinley; and are expecting a son in February 2025.

Contact Information: manis.rachel@westada.org

Headshot of team physician Dr. Derek Kunz, MD

Dr. Derek Kunz, MD

Directing/Team Physician

Dr. Kunz has been the team physician for Owyhee High School since the 2021-2022 school year. He grew up in rural Idaho and his is first exposure to a physician was someone who had to be prepared to deal with a variety of medical conditions, as access to a specialist was limited. As he has gone through his medical training, he has held on to the idea that a physician should be able to help a variety of people. Whether it be a life-threatening condition or a minor injury, his passion involves getting people back to their goal activity level. From the potato farmer to the elite level athlete, Dr. Kunz's patients can expect a comprehensive approach to their care and access to a wide variety of treatment plans.

Contact Information: Dr. Derek Kunz, MD

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