Head Athletic Trainer Steve Tschida is loving his 32nd year working at EHS. While beloved by Edina student athletes, some still don’t know of him. So, who is Tschida?
Tschida grew up in Roseville. As you can guess, he was an avid athlete, playing varsity soccer, hockey, and track. Being immersed in the world of sports led him to his passion.
“I was really interested in staying in the sports field,” Tschida said. “A friend of mine, Ryan, was pursuing a career in athletic training, so I decided to go to the University of Minnesota and get my undergrad and Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and my degree in athletic training.”
A typical day for Tschida includes treating students who have the following common sports injuries: soft tissue sprains, muscular strains, and the occasional concussion: the frequency of such injuries depends on the sports that are in-season. Tschida is more than just a simple problem solver, though.
“There was this one case where a multi-sport athlete was having a variety of different conditions, and [the pain] was kind of moving from the knee to shoulder to hip,” Tschida said. “She was going to these orthopedic clinics where they would just treat each issue individually and not look at a bigger cause. It didn’t make sense whatsoever why she was moving from one condition or one body area to another. So, I called the parents and recommended they get some blood work done. Turns out she had rheumatoid arthritis, which was deteriorating her joints.”
Tschida was able to not only help diagnose her but to get her the treatment she needed. If the condition had gone undiagnosed, the student wouldn’t have been able to continue participating in athletics.
Tschida said his proudest moment was being inducted in the EHS Hall of Fame in 2013. A major component to his induction was due to the comfort and community he has created for student athletes.
Tschida noted that his funniest moments have been when student athletes appeared with no significant injury. He noticed that they mainly come in just to converse with him and other student athletes, taking a break from their busy days to be comforted by a familiar community. “Some kids come in saying, ‘Oh, my left knee is bothering me,’ only to show up the next day complaining about the other knee instead,” Tschida said. It’s obvious that our head athletic trainer is more than just his medical degree.
“As much as I hope I help kids here, I think I have to thank them for what they have provided me,” Tschida said. “I didn’t think I’d understand the impact that the student athletes would have on me. I feel like I have 1,000 kids, all of them mine. That’s what’s really special.”
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on Nov. 6, 2025
