The Crozier family of North East, Pa., has known athletic trainer Erin Terry for years. Tiffany Crozier is a teacher at North East School District, and Erin has been an athletic trainer for the district since 2002.
All four of Tiffany and Andy Crozier’s sons are active in sports. Tiffany says the guidance and medical care Erin has provided them has meant the world.
“The boys compete in everything: from cross country to football, basketball, and track,” Tiffany says. “Anytime they have an injury, we go right to Erin. We trust her opinion on what to do and where to go next.”
Erin Terry, MS, LAT, ATC, is a skilled UPMC Sports Medicine athletic trainer. She is a resource to all student-athletes at North East High School. Whether they need an injury evaluation, guidance on their next treatment steps, or one-on-one training to get back in the game, she has their backs.
Getting Carter Back on the Gridiron
In September 2024, junior football player Carter Crozier injured his knee during a game.
Erin was on the sidelines to evaluate the injury when it happened. She also scheduled him an appointment for the upcoming Monday morning with Brian J. Still, MD. Dr. Still is an orthopaedic surgeon at UPMC Sports Medicine in Erie.
After performing a physical exam, Dr. Still suspected Carter had torn a ligament in his knee. He sent Carter for a next-day magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam at UPMC Hamot.
By Wednesday, Dr. Still delivered the MRI results to Carter and his family. It was good news: Carter’s injury was a bone bruise and a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL).
“Dr. Still took the extra time to look at Carter’s results as soon as he possibly could to put him at ease,” Tiffany says. “Carter was so worried it could be his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It seemed like Dr. Still really knew how he felt, and it was just super nice to get the results so quickly.”
To get back on the football field, Carter needed to rest for a brief time. He then had to follow a specific exercise regimen to target his injured areas and strengthen the muscles around them.
Carter worked directly with Erin at each practice until they both felt he was ready to return to play. He returned to the field in October.
“Erin is on top of it. She knows how important this is to my kids,” Tiffany says. “And the process has just been so smooth getting test results in MyUPMC and working through his recovery collaboratively.”
Helping Noah Back to His High Jumps
Erin was also there when the family’s eldest son, Noah, found himself feeling intensifying back pain in 2023.
A high school junior at the time, Noah could only compete in the high jump at three track and field meets before needing to rest his back.
Erin sent Noah for x-rays. She also referred him to physical therapy with Robert “Bob” Deppen, PT, DPT, at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Erie.
Noah recovered in time to return for the end of the season and compete in states, where he placed ninth. He missed some of his senior basketball season when his back pain reemerged. However, after another three weeks of individualized physical therapy with Bob, he returned in time for track.
He cruised through track meets all the way to the 2024 state championship. There, he became the high jump state champion.
Noah hasn’t struggled with back pain since. He is now a Division I collegiate high jumper.
“He’s doing phenomenal,” Tiffany says. “He’s been training and said he feels stronger than ever.”
Assisting You in Your Adventures
The team of experts at UPMC Sports Medicine in Erie helps athletes of all ages prevent, manage, and rehabilitate injuries. To learn more or schedule an appointment, call 814-877-6195 or visit our website.
Or find a sports medicine provider near you.