What is Portland Pirates athletic trainer Rob Frost going to do during his summer vacation?
He’s going to spend two weeks of it sharing his expertise and his religious faith with young basketball players and coaches in East Africa.
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“Some people might want to go up to Acadia on vacation for a couple of weeks, but he’s using his off time to see a bit of the world, but more importantly, to help others,” Pirates Coach Kevin Dineen said. “It may seem out of the ordinary, but this certainly fits the profile of the kind of person that he is.”
Frost, who turns 33 on Sunday, will spend two weeks in August traveling through Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda with Athletes In Action, a Christian sports ministry.
“It’s important for me to share my faith, but also to help those who are less fortunate,” he said.
“Frosty is a guy of very strong faith, and he’s got a confident demeanor about him,” Dineen said. “Basically, his job is to help others. It’s something that comes very natural to him.”
Frost, who attends First Baptist Church of Yarmouth, will be with a group of high school and college basketball coaches.
“I’ll be teaching sort of the ABC’s of athletic training, things they can apply,” said Frost, who recently completed his third season with the Pirates. “Maybe I’ll teach them how to tape an ankle and show them how to treat injuries in game situations.”
The group will spend some time in Kibera, a slum of Nairobi, Kenya, providing humanitarian and medical aid.
It will be Frost’s second trip to Africa with a group from Athletes In Action to share his knowledge of sports medicine as well as conditioning.
He traveled two summers ago to the West African countries of Senegal and Mali with a team made up of Division I basketball players to play exhibitions and put on youth clinics.
“As an athletic trainer, I have this vehicle that can get me involved with Athletes In Action to take me all these places,” Frost said.
“We’re really excited for him to go and use his off time in such a … productive way,” Dineen said.
Each participant is asked to raise $4,000 to help cover the costs of the trip.
“I’m asking friends, relatives and church members for donations,” he said.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
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