Athletic Trainer Dennis Mestas Winds Down 34-Year Career

He patrolled the sidelines of a football game with a watchful eye, pacing back and forth in continuous motion, seemingly sizing up every player. Former colleague Angelo Cimity once said, "With his little black bag, he looks like a conductor walking up and down the inside of a railroad car. 

Later, when asked why he did that, Dennis Mestas replied, "I look at their eyes. It's a clue as to whether they may be suffering from a concussion."

Such is the diligence of Mestas, who is preparing to bring to an end a career which spanned 34 years, the first 16 at West Los Angeles Community College before arriving in Valley Glen in 2008.

No stranger to the athletic arena, Mestas is a graduate of Dorsey High School where he played both wide receiver and quarterback. He later walked on to UCLA as a practice player before transferring to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas where he not only attended athletic training school but found his love for tennis. He next moved to graduate school at Ohio State University, and enjoyed a stint as an intern with the Buffalo Bills.

In addtion to his training role at LAVC, Mestas' resume includes:

• Athletic Trainer Certified (ATC) for the Los Angeles Police Department football team
• ATC spotter for the Los Angeles Chargers during home games
• Adjunct faculty at LAVC
• Adjunct faculty at Cal State University, Northridge

A devout tennis enthusiast, Mestas has competed in numerous tournaments during his lifetime and, in fact, climbed into the national rankings for his age group several years ago. 

But it's his positive influence on others which most will remember him by. Notes his colleague, Jon Sung, "Dennis has impacted an immeasurable amount of student-athletes and future athletic trainers."

Mestas heads into retirement along with his high school sweetheart, Kim.