(This article first appeared in the June print edition of the Hendersonian.
Honoka Nakanishi, Henderson County High School’s athletic trainer, brings an international pedigree to local sports medicine. In Henderson, she helps care for student-athletes across all sports. But not long ago, she was making a name for herself with her high-level tennis play. She credits her journey through tennis and injury for shaping her mission to keep local athletes healthy.
Nakanishi is from Kashiwa, Japan, where she quickly emerged as one of Japan’s top junior tennis players. She began competing nationally at age 14, earning recognition that opened doors to elite opportunities.
“I played in the biggest tournament in Japan in high school. I was final 16 in that tournament,” she said. She also traveled for tennis at a young age. “I started traveling the world for international tournaments at age 14-15.” She was ranked nationally at the junior level.
That international success led her to the United States, where she accepted a scholarship in 2019 to play Division I tennis at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. There, she found her stride as a doubles specialist.
“In college, we went to nationals two times. We won three conference regular seasons and two conference championships. I played both singles and doubles and did mainly doubles,” she explained. Her accomplishments with the Governors include multiple Ohio Valley Conference titles and All-OVC recognition.
But Nakanishi’s collegiate years were not just about winning matches. Her time as a student-athlete fueled her curiosity about athletic training.
“I saw the trainers in the college program working hard,” she said.
And it was her own experience with injury as a teenager that had already planted the seed.
“I first got injured playing tennis when I was 14. It was a wrist injury. I got all kinds of shoulder injuries and spent a lot of time with my athletic trainer. She studied in the U.S. and I knew I could learn here. So, I started looking for a college I could study Athletic Training.”
After earning her undergraduate degree in exercise science, she returned to the classroom as a graduate student, pursuing her Master of Science in Athletic Training at the University of Evansville.
“The first year was class at UE, then I went to Austin Peay for a semester, where I worked with women’s soccer and women’s basketball. It was a great experience and I learned a lot,” she said.
She now brings that education and experience to Henderson County High School, where she is a key player in the student-athlete experience. Nakanishi works through Owensboro Health, which partners with local schools to provide on-site sports medicine support. Her presence ensures quick response and supreme care for athletes.
She arrives daily in the early afternoon and remains on-site until practices wrap up. However, on a game day, it will be much later.
“I come here around 2 and stay until 6 if there’s no game. If there’s a game, I will be there around 9-10 depending on the sport,” she said.
Her approach to care requires precision in testing and decision making. “We do a muscle strength test and a range of motion test. If they don’t have that strength or range, I don’t usually let them practice or play because of increased injury risk,” she said.
But her mission goes beyond recovery. She looks for athletes to think a step ahead.
“My goal is to get kids thinking about what prevents injury. When they do get injured, I hope to help them recover the quickest,” she said.
She emphasizes that prevention is key. “Stretch often, eat healthy foods, and sleep a lot,” she said. “Stretching is the most important, though, because high school athletes usually don’t stretch.”
Her impact is being felt across the school. In the 2024-25 school year, Henderson County athletics have flourished, with multiple teams advancing to state competition. Boys’ and girls’ basketball, as well as boys’ soccer and girls’ archery, all won their region titles. The softball team, currently in play, sits atop the Second Region RPI rankings.
Behind the scenes, Nakanishi’s injury prevention efforts and rehabilitation programs have contributed to those successful seasons.
When asked about what is rewarding about her job, she said, “I like to see an athlete who I worked with go back and perform after an injury. I want to support them whatever their needs are. But also, being a part of this school community has been really fun.”
Her presence has built a bridge between elite-level experience and the local athletes she now serves. Honoka Nakanishi’s 6,500-mile journey from Kashiwa, Japan, to Henderson may be far, but her impact was felt immediately when she got here.
