Denton, TX (April 15, 2025)— The Northern Essex Community College Athletics Department has another trophy to add to its collection. Nicole Pyburn is the 2024-2025 NJCAA Athletic Trainer of the Year. The honor is awarded to an athletic trainer who best exemplifies the overall purpose of leading their institution, athletic department, and student-athletes through athletic training.

Nicole Pyburn, NJCAA Trainer of the Year

Pyburn joined NECC in January 2023 and is the only athletic trainer on staff for the Knights. She is responsible for caring for all 10 varsity teams and provides coverage for every home athletic competition. Pyburn also travels with Northern Essex squads that advance to NJCAA Championships. Upon her hiring, Pyburn immediately made an impact, providing enhanced treatment and rehabilitation resources for student-athletes.

Pyburn overhauled the athletic training room, providing new space for student-athlete rehabilitation. In the spring of 2024, Pyburn led the charge for the Knights to receive a mental health grant. With this grant, Pyburn created the Knights Recovery Lounge, which was designed to give student-athletes a mental health break. The space includes Infinity Massage Chairs, a RestWorks nap pod, iPads with wellness apps installed, Hyperice massage equipment, nortmatec boots, and a variety of other furniture to help visitors relax and unwind. Since its opening in August 2024, the Knights Recovery Lounge has had the single largest positive impact on the student-athlete experience in recent years.

“I’m thrilled for Nicole to be recognized by the NJCAA for the work she does daily for the benefit of our student-athletes at Northern Essex,” Dan Blair, Athletic Director at Northern Essex, shared. “Her efforts have played a major role in the growth and success of our program as a whole since her arrival.”

In addition to her work on the Northern Essex campus, Pyburn serves as a resource to other schools in NJCAA Region 21 on athletic training matters. Pyburn’s expertise is wide-ranging as she is certified in dry needling and cupping. She is also a certified instructor through the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), in which she conducts weekly trainings in health and recovery at Northern Essex. Pyburn is an active participant in the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association (EATA) and is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA).

Created in the spring of 2020, the NJCAA Athletic Trainer of the Year is part of the NJCAA Annual Awards that honor three distinct categories across the association – Athletic Director of the Year, Sports Information Director of the Year, and Athletic Trainer of the Year. These awards represent individuals who strive to create the optimal student-athlete experience on their campus while also performing duties that go far beyond the institutional level.

(News release written in conjunction with NJCAA Media Relations)